Traitors Among Us
by christibabe
Summary: This is an AU story, possible canon characteristics of characters as well. Eventually a Babe HEA. Stephanie will run into Ranger and the Merry Men and her life will be forever changed. The story starts with Stephanie living somewhere besides Trenton and although she has vowed not to return there she finds she must in order to protect herself and the young girl in her charge.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 1: A Crashing Introduction

**Stephanie's POV:**

The alarm went off, and I groaned, wishing for another hour or two of sleep. I sighed, knowing I didn't have that luxury. I needed to get up and make sure Bree got off okay. Sighing, I slipped out of bed and padded over to the bathroom. I answered nature's call and then stepped into the shower where I shampooed and soaped up before stepping out and drying off. It didn't take me long to dress and get ready for the day. I added an extra coat of mascara before walking through the house to Bree's room. I knocked on the door and called, "Bree! Come on, honey. Time to get up. The bus will be here soon."

I heard the groan on the other side of the door and laughed. Bree was a lot like me in that she definitely liked her sleep.

I knocked again and called, "Come on, Bree! Wake up."

The door opened, and I smiled at the young girl who stood there half asleep.

"I'm up already. Geesh, Steph! You're almost as bad as Micha."

I laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Well, I promised Micha I'd make sure you got to school on time, so let's get moving."

Bree groaned and shut her door. When I heard her shower turn on, I knew she was truly up, so I headed for the kitchen, where I was going to find something already made that I could put on a plate for us for breakfast. I lucked out by finding the rest of the egg casserole Micha had made a couple days ago before he'd left for his latest mission. Setting the dish in the microwave, I nuked it for several minutes before taking the two plates to the table and putting in a couple slices of toast for each of us. By the time Bree joined me, breakfast was on the table and ready to eat.

Bree plopped into her chair at the table and dug into the casserole before taking a bite of the toast. "I saw on CNN that a group of hostages was rescued. They said that one member of the American team that rescued them was injured."

I stilled and my gaze went to Bree. "Micha said it might be a few days before we heard from him. I know it's hard to wait, but he's good at what he does."

Bree nodded. "I know."

From her bent head, I knew what the problem was. I laid my hand on top of her small ones and said, "You had another dream, didn't you?"

Bree nodded but said no more.

I squeezed her hands with mine and said, "You want to tell me about it?"

Bree shrugged. "I had a dream that someone came to the house to tell us Micha was hurt and needed us to go to him. We went, but it was a trap, and they held us to get the man Micha works for."

I bit my lip and made a decision. "I'm going to get you excused from school today, and we're going to drive into Trenton. Go pack a bag for a few days, and we'll get going."

Bree looked up and our eyes locked. She nodded. "Don't answer the door, Steph."

I nodded and we both got a move on. I hurried to my own bedroom and threw some clothes into a couple of suitcases. Ten minutes later, Bree and I met back in the kitchen. I took a deep breath and opened the door to the garage as there was a knock on the front door. Bree and I looked at each other and then hurried into the garage. I unlocked the car and told Bree to get in as I started tossing the luggage into the back seat. I was tossing the last suitcase in when there was a shot, and then I felt something hit my ass; it stung like a son of a bitch. I finished tossing the suitcase into the car and shut the door. I felt another sting to my left arm near the shoulder, and then I heard the sound of gunfire. I crawled into the driver's seat and felt myself being tugged. That was my last conscious thought as I lost the battle with darkness.

**Bree's POV:**

I managed to get Stephanie into the passenger seat and slipped into the driver's seat. Good thing Micha was overly cautious and demanded that I know how to fire a gun as well as drive. I think I might have hit at least one of the guys that were after us, but I couldn't be sure. I started the car and hit the remote to open the garage door. I floored the gas pedal and wheeled us around in a one-eighty so we were facing the way I wanted to go. I knew where Stephanie was planning for us to go. Micha had warned us that if anything ever happened to him, we would need to go to his boss in Trenton, New Jersey. With the way Stephanie felt about going back there, only something drastic would make her go.

I fired at the car I knew belonged to the men who were after us, taking time to shoot out their tires so they wouldn't be able to follow us. However, we still had to get to Trenton. I made sure to keep us under the speed limit, but at the same time, I didn't waste any time. Stephanie had taken at least two bullets, if not more, and we needed to get her immediate care. When we reached the outskirts of Trenton, I noticed the extra patrols and remembered the heavy Jersey accent of one of the men as they told us they needed us to come with them so we would be safe. I carefully drove through the city till I reached our destination. Pulling into the entrance of the garage, I bit my lip and floored the gas pedal, ducking down so when we broke through the barrier, I wouldn't get hurt. We managed to go a few extra feet, and then the crunch of metal on metal told me we had run head-on into another car. I just hoped the owner of said car was an understanding kind of guy.

I had no more than turned the car off and pulled out the key when the door was wrenched open and I was hauled out by the most handsome male I had ever seen. He was six feet tall, with a nicely muscled build and a possible Cuban/Latin American heritage. His deep brown eyes were like narrowed shards of glass as his gaze bored into me. He paused when he got a good look at me, and I wiggled to get down, but he held me easily. In desperation, I kicked out at him, only to find myself slammed against the car gently.

He growled, "Who the hell are you and why did you break into my building?"

I opened my mouth to say something, only nothing would come out. Just then, Stephanie moaned in the passenger seat, and I tried to turn to her. He refused to let me go, and I struck out. "Please. She's been shot."

The man holding me moved us away from the car, and one of the men climbed inside, only to back out and tell my captor, "She's got a bullet in the ass and one in the shoulder. We need to get her to the treatment room. My guess is she's lost some blood and is shocky."

My captor nodded and handed me off to another man that had him beat in the height department. This guy had some of the same Latin American characteristics as the one who'd pulled me out of the car, but this guy was a good three inches taller and had "lady killer" written all over him. I got a funny, warm feeling inside just being near him. Although he set me on my feet, he was alert and held my hands in such a way, there would be no way I could attack him. When I saw them take Stephanie out of the car, I started to shake. The man now keeping me captive motioned someone, and suddenly, there was a blanket around me. We entered the elevator and were then taken to a treatment room three floors up. I was taken to another room and allowed to sit down.

The man who pulled me out of the car came into the room and studied me for several moments before saying, "You remind me of someone. What's your name?"

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a blank stare. His eyes narrowed and he leaned down toward me, bringing us closer together. "You'll find things go much easier when I get what I want, sweetheart."

I bit my lip before tilting my chin up and saying, "Micha told Stephanie to come here if there was ever trouble."

Just like that, the tension in the room was palpable.

"What's Micha to you?"

I couldn't control the tears that burned the backs of my eyes, and my voice was barely above a whisper when I answered, "My brother. We were getting into the car to come here, and the men broke in and opened fire."

His eyes narrowed. "And you drove all the way here?"

I nodded. "Will Stephanie be okay?"

He hesitated before saying, "Bobby's doing all he can. You don't look old enough to drive."

I shrugged. "Micha insisted I learn. I used the gun he had in the car to take out their tires, and I might have gotten one of them with a bullet."

Both of them looked surprised at that.

Again, the man before me asked, "What's your name?"

I hesitated but knew he was somehow on my side. "Bree."

He nodded. "Bree, I'm Ranger." He indicated the taller man. "This is Lester Santos."

"You two are related."

He stilled for a moment, and surprise flickered for a moment before he narrowed his eyes. "What makes you say that?"

I shrugged. "There's a family resemblance."

The two men turned and glanced at each other for a couple seconds before smiling.

The man named Ranger turned back to me and said, "Not many people see the resemblance."

At that moment, the other man entered the room. He was about the same height as Lester, but his coloring was definitely African American, and he had dreadlocks in his hair. He was just as muscular as the other two. He spoke to Ranger. "I got the bullets out and have her hooked up to an I.V. Should I call for an ambulance?"

Ranger shook his head. "No. They'll stay here. It seems Micha's last radio message has some merit to it." Ranger turned to me and ordered, "You need to let Bobby check to make sure you didn't get hurt with that crazy stunt you pulled."

"I'm fine."

Ranger gave me a half smile and leaned forward. "I wasn't suggesting, Sweetheart. You _will_ let Bobby check you over."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Fine!"

Bobby didn't seem to like the idea any more than I did. He checked me out and declared that I was good to go.

Ranger nodded and then said, "I'm putting them in the apartment down here. That way you can keep an eye on them until we get this all settled."

Bobby's eyes grew wide, but he remained silent.

I didn't say a word, but I was thinking this Ranger guy had a lot to learn once Stephanie came around. I couldn't wait to see the fireworks.

**Ranger's POV:**

I woke at 0500 and slipped into my workout clothes before heading down to the gym. Pushing myself, I added another mile on the treadmill and increased each of the weight machines by fifty pounds. Although I was feeling the pull to my muscles after my workout, I was secretly pleased that I had managed to do the same workout I had been doing before going on the Fubared mission eight months before. I'd been lucky to get out with just a few bullet wounds. I had worked hard the past eight months, and to finally be able to accomplish the workout I'd been doing before being injured was a sign that I had totally healed. I headed back to the penthouse to shower and change, and even though I was moving slower, I knew I would be able to keep this workout going till it was like second nature. I fobbed my way into my penthouse apartment and noticed my Aunt Ella, who was also my housekeeper, emerging from the kitchen.

Ella smiled and said, "I left your breakfast on the table, Ricardo. How are you doing today?"

I grinned, kissed Tia Ella's cheek, and replied, "I'm back to normal."

She hugged me close and said, "I'm happy for that. Now, if you told me you were done with missions, I would be even happier."

I chuckled. "I'm not ready to declare that just yet."

She pulled back to look at me with a worried frown. "I worry for you, Ricardo. My friend Angelina tells me she sees a dark cloud coming soon. I know it is the missions you go on."

"I promise you I will be careful."

She tightened her arms around me, and I felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer when I saw the sheen of tears on her cheeks. I enfolded her in my arms and hugged her close as I whispered words of comfort in Spanish. Finally, she nodded and moved from my arms to hurry out the door. I sighed as I watched her go, knowing that although she said she understood, she was still deeply affected by my decision. As much as I loved my aunt, I couldn't stop being who I was, even for her. Moving to the bedroom, I stripped down as I continued on into the bathroom to shower. Once I had washed my hair and soaped my body, I turned off the water and stepped from the shower with a towel wrapped around my hips. I grabbed my usual outfit of black cargos and a black, fitted T-shirt, quickly dressing for the day. I added my utility belt and weapons before I brushed my hair back and fastened it into a ponytail. When lose, my hair reached my shoulder blades, but I liked to keep it back in the ponytail, especially when working.

I made my way into the kitchen and sat down where Ella had set up the plates for my breakfast. I smiled as I removed the lids from all of my favorite dishes: a multigrain bagel with lox, a dish of yogurt with granola and fresh blueberries, and a pureed fruit smoothie. Finishing within the allotted time, I took my dishes to the sink before grabbing my keys and fob. I headed for the stairs and quickly made my way to the fifth floor where my office was located. The fifth floor was actually the hub of activity at Rangeman. Lester and Tank had offices there, and the communication room, break room and the men's cubicles were all located on that floor, as well. We always had two men on monitors in the comm room, where they monitored all the Rangeman accounts. At any given time, there were between four and ten men at their cubicles running searches or working on specifications for the varied security programs we ran for our clients. The only one from my core team that didn't have an office on the fifth floor was Bobby, and his office was adjacent to his treatment rooms for obvious reasons.

I had worked long and hard to get my business off the ground. The major funding for it had come from those missions my Tia Ella wanted me to give up. Although I had to admit that I currently had more money than I could ever spend in a hundred lifetimes, I still got a rush from doing those missions and wasn't willing to give up my adrenaline rush just yet. Tank, Bobby, and Lester shared that addiction with me. I made sure we were never gone at the same time, and either Tank or I were here to run the company, and we took turns partnering with Bobby and Lester so there would always be a backup for us each if we needed it.

When I left the Ranger's, I vetted several of the men I had been on missions with and offered the best of the best jobs at Rangeman. Of course, I didn't limit myself to just the men who were good at their jobs and on the right side of the law. As long as the men's actions were morally right, I was okay with the gray area of the law. After all…sometimes what was morally right wasn't always exactly legal. I had an ace electronics genius because of such beliefs. Hector had been a major gang figure that I'd lucked upon while dealing with a delicate matter. I'd found him to be a morally upright guy and offered him a job if he ever decided to leave the gang. Lucky for me, he'd taken me up on the job. I wasn't a hundred percent sure exactly what Hector had done in order for the gang to agree to leave him alone, but there had been a rash of deaths of gang leaders within the two weeks before Hector came and accepted the job, assuring me the gang wouldn't be a problem.

My inner circle of guys included the men I most trusted. It wasn't just the Rangers that I pilfered when I was searching for men to place in my company. Hal, Cal, Zip, Zero, and Junior had been Navy Seals, and as soon as I met them, I wanted them for my team. From the Air Force, I'd found Woody, Manny, and Brett. The Marines—or rather, Delta Force—had produced men like Ram, Vince, Binkie, Diaz, Eric, and Bones. Rodriguez had been a Navy Seal before going into Naval Intelligence. In many ways, I had the crème de la crème of all the branches of the service. These men, I trusted with my life. My newest hire had come on board about six months before in the form of Micha Taylor. He was one of the best pilots I had ever seen. As a matter of fact, he'd been the pilot that had saved my team during the last mission I'd been on. He had gotten our crew out of a pretty tight spot, and I'd wanted him on my team. From a professional standpoint, I knew everything there was to know about Micha. As far as his personal life, he was somewhat of a clam and hadn't said much. I knew he was gay, and that made no difference in my opinion. Although, I had to admit that the guys enjoyed the heated arguments Micha and Hector got into as they danced around each other, and there was a bet going to see how long before they were doing the horizontal tango.

I made my way to my office and went to work on the security specs I was working on for a couple of new clients. I had mostly finished when the alarm sounded and there was a flashing red light that warned there had been a breach. I exited my office quickly, and as I headed for the stairs, I heard Brett say the breach was in the garage. I lifted a hand to indicate I'd received the message and hit the stairwell door running. I knew without turning around that Tank, Lester, and Bobby were right behind me, and at a guess, I would say Ram, Vince, Woody, Binkie, Junior, Manny, Cal, Hal, and Hector weren't far behind. I flung open the door leading to the garage and saw a vintage Mustang had hit my Porsche Turbo 911 head-on. Damn! I had just broken that car in the way I wanted, too.

I stalked over to the offending car, ripped the driver's side door open, and reached in and hauled out the driver. Although I let nothing show, I was stunned at the child I had pulled out of the car. Hell! This kid wasn't much older than my own daughter, Julie, who just turned ten this year. Although I didn't show any change in manner, I couldn't help but temper my actions. When I found out she was Micha's sister, I realized the message we had received from Micha when he reached the hospital in Germany was in fact the real deal and I needed to look into sending in a team to get my men out of there before someone got the idea they could use them to force my hand. Although I knew Bobby wouldn't be happy with the task, I put him in charge of keeping an eye on the two females that had crashed into our world.

**Thank you for reading and I hope you decide to join me for this new ride. I look forward to hearing your reviews. I welcome constructive criticism.**


	2. Intruders

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 2: Intruders

**Stephanie's POV:**

I heard Bree cry out and moved to go to her, when all of a sudden, my left arm and ass felt like they were on fire. I moaned at the pain racing through my body. I slowly blinked my eyes opened and wondered where the truck was that had run over me. Vaguely, I remembered our hurried dash to get in the car, and I knew I'd made it into the driver's seat, but that's where my memories left me. Where the hell were we, and where was Bree? I heard Bree's cry again and struggled to stand to go to her. I'd promised Micha I would take care of her whenever he was away, and I had no intention of letting him down now. He had saved my life ten years ago, and I refused to pay him back by letting his little sister get hurt. I finally managed to struggle my way through the maze of rooms to a closed door. I was hoping Bree was on the other side, because the pain was intense and I wasn't sure how much farther I could go.

I opened the door and was relieved to see Bree there on the bed. She was tossing and turning, and I knew she was in the clutches of some dark nightmare that only she could see. I hated what these damn dreams did to her, and I wished there was some way I could protect her from them. Knowing it was futile and there was nothing I could do but to help her deal with the reality, I moved slowly forward till I reached the bed. I knew better than to touch her or sit on the bed. She couldn't always control how she would deal with suddenly being touched while she was having one of these dreams.

I softly called to her. "Bree. Honey, wake up. You're having a dream. Bree! Can you hear me?"

Bree stilled, and after a moment, she turned to face me with her eyes open. Hoping it was now safe, I sat down on the bed. Bree carefully launched herself into my arms and clung as great sobs shook her slight form. I was finally able to calm her, when there was a knock on the door and then the sounds of it opening. My eyes narrowed in anger as I wondered who might be coming in here without waiting to be invited in. My anger only increased when Bree tensed. I heard swearing before it became obvious that whoever was there was closing in on our location. I looked around for a weapon and saw the gun on the nightstand. I grimaced. No matter how much Micha had insisted I learn how to handle the damn things, I hated guns. I had just placed the gun on the bed between Bree and me, when the door opened and a big black man stepped into the room. He wasn't fat or anything—as a matter of fact, there wasn't a spare ounce of fat on this man anywhere.

He stepped closer, and I grasped the gun lying on the bed and lifted it. My hand was rock steady as I aimed at the intruder, and I made sure my face showed nothing.

The man before us stopped dead and raised his hands in the air. "You wanna put that gun down? I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just checking on you to see how you're doing after I took the two bullets out of you."

My eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Bobby Brown. I'm the Rangeman medic. We decided it might be too dangerous to move you to the hospital until we had more information."

I glanced at Bree and raised a questioning brow. She gave a slight nod, letting me know he was telling the truth. I lowered the gun but didn't totally put it away. Mr. Brown went to step forward, and the gun went off, making him freeze in his tracks as a bullet whizzed past him and slammed into the wall. My eyes widened as I realized that when he stepped forward, I had tensed and squeezed the trigger, causing the gun to go off. I tossed the gun away from me, and when it hit the floor, it went off again, causing Mr. Brown to jump out of the way as another bullet went flying. My hands were shaky, and I knew my face was pale as I looked at the man in front of me in horror.

Mr. Brown growled and stepped forward threateningly for a moment, and then suddenly, he clenched his hands and seemed to get in control of himself. After using his foot to move the gun out of my reach, he folded his arms across his chest and glared at me. "Are you done trying to kill me, lady?"

I was shaking from the close call, but at his words and tone, I stiffened and glared right back. "I wasn't trying to kill you, asshole! You'd be dead if that were the case."

"Well, lucky for me you're a crappy shot, then."

I wanted to slug him, but the pain was making it difficult to even move, let alone fly at him with the rage I was feeling inside. I slowly stood up and noticed his eyes widen as they took in what little I was wearing. For some reason, it irritated me even more, and I stumbled forward. He reached out a hand to keep me from falling, and even though my brain told me he was just trying to help me, my self-preservation kicked in and my knee rammed into his crotch. He doubled over, groaning in pain from the contact of my knee with his gonads. I backed away quickly, paleing as I listened to him swear. I looked around for an escape to get us out of the situation, when I heard the front door open and a very male voice call out, "Hey, Brown! You in here?"

By now, Bree had scrambled forward and had us both covered with the sheet from her bed as she placed herself between Mr. Brown and me.

His swearing grew slightly louder, and a couple seconds later, another man rushed into the room with his gun drawn and pointed in our direction. He stilled as he took in the scene, and then his face lit with a smile and he put his gun away as he leaned against the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. "What's the matter, Brown? Make the lady an offer that was too easy to turn down?"

Mr. Brown turned to the newcomer and snarled, "Fuck you, Ram."

The man called Ram chuckled. "Come on, Brown. It's not my fault the lady has taste."

There was a growl, and then Mr. Brown went after Ram with his fist cocked. Ram beat a hasty retreat, leaving us alone with a now angry bear of a man. When he turned back to us, I couldn't help the shaking that took over. It was like the scene of my worst nightmare come back to haunt me again. My gaze went to the gun, which was too far away, and just as I was about to do something drastic, his beeper went off. He lifted his pager and sent me a glare before heading out of the room. I didn't relax until I heard the door slam.

I turned to Bree and whispered, "Hurry and get dressed. We have to get out of here before he comes back."

Bree bit her lip before saying, "I don't think he means to hurt us."

I shook my head. "Maybe, but I'm not sticking around to find out."

"We don't have a car anymore."

I turned and noticed the flush on her face and hugged her. "That's okay. I have a few friends I can call from the old days. We'll be just fine."

"What about what Micha said?"

I paused. "He told us to go to Ranger. I just wish I knew where this Ranger was."

"I'm right here, Babe."

I hissed at the sudden dart of pain as I whipped around, not having heard the newcomer enter. His eyes were fixed on me. I stiffened and asked, "Do you always sneak up on people?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I did knock."

I glared. "Yeah, well, we didn't hear you."

He gave a slight nod. "Are you done beating up on my men, Babe, or would you like to go another couple of rounds?"

I stood and put my hands on my hips, paying no attention to the view I was providing. "It's not my fault he came in here with all that aggression and scared us."

The man before me gave a half smile, and my knees weakened. He was drop-dead gorgeous, and I felt the impact of that smile in my lower regions. There was an electrical current racing through me as I stood there staring him down. As I watched, his eyes darkened, and I felt a niggling of fear. After all, he was an unknown. Even though Micha trusted him, I wasn't sure I could just yet.

I pulled myself up to my full five-foot-seven and met his gaze as I asked, "Do you mind giving us a chance to get dressed?"

His gaze slowly made its way over my barely covered body, and when our eyes met, he winked before saying, "Pity to cover such loveliness, but I'll give you ten minutes. I'll wait in the living room."

He stepped forward, and I hurriedly moved closer to the bed and away from him. He lifted the gun on the nightstand and placed it in his waistband. "Wouldn't want to tempt you by leaving this around."

As he left the room, I muttered, "Bastard!" under my breath.

There was a masculine chuckle coming from the other side of the door, and I knew he had heard me.

I hugged Bree and said, "Hurry and get dressed, honey. But stay in here and let me handle this, okay?"

Bree tilted her head and said, "You can trust him."

I grimaced. "Maybe. We'll see. Just remember to stay in here, okay?"

When Bree nodded, I felt a lot better.


	3. Let's Talk

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 3: Let's Talk

**Ranger's POV:**

I headed out to the living room to give them a chance to get dressed. I hadn't gotten much information from the girl last night, just that Micha was her brother. But there was no way Micha was related to the hot babe in the bedroom with the girl. I wondered what she was to Micha. I checked my watch when the ten minutes was up and frowned. What the hell was keeping them so long? By the time I had waited twenty minutes, I was starting to get pissed. All I needed was a woman with a princess complex. I stood and turned to go pull her out of her room in whatever manner of dress she had managed to get herself into, when I saw her slowly making her way out to the living room. I felt a small pang, remembering that she had taken two bullets and dressing had probably been a hell of a lot more difficult than it normally would have been.

I watched as she slowly made her way over to the sofa and sat down. I stepped toward her and noticed that she tensed and moved away. My eyes narrowed as I took her in. She wasn't meeting my eyes. Whether this was deliberate or accidental, I didn't know, but I planned to find out. I sat in the chair across from her and leaned forward slightly to put myself in her space. She seemed in no hurry to start the conversation, but I had a ton of work that needed doing and a team to brief before sending them after the team in Germany.

Giving up on letting her start the conversation, I said, "The girl said Micha told you to come here if you needed anything."

The beauty before me nodded slightly and looked up. Our eyes met and I held her gaze with mine. Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper. "Yes. When he first started working for you, he said if we were ever in trouble, we should come to you, especially when he was out of the country."

I nodded my head in the direction of the bedroom where I had found them with Brown. "The girl said Micha's her brother. What's he to you?"

I watched as she stiffened, and her eyes studied me for several minutes before she replied, "Micha is my friend. I've lived with him and Bree for the past ten years."

My gaze narrowed on her. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Micha was gay and had been since his early teens. I wanted to pursue this, but decided to put it on hold for now. "Can you tell me what happened to make you come here?"

She shrugged. "Bree felt uneasy, so we decided to leave and go somewhere else for a couple of days. We were just heading to the garage when the knock sounded on the door, and it seemed imperative that we get out of there. I was just putting the last bag in the car when I felt the pain in my ass, and then I got hit in the arm but was able to make it into the car. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here."

She was leaving something out, but I couldn't say what. I sat staring at her for several minutes, knowing she would soon be spilling her guts. I'd yet to meet the person who could ignore my stare and not talk. She sat there getting paler by the minute, but she remained silent. Not once did she turn away from my gaze. After what seemed like a very long time, it looked like she was finally going to say something, and I smiled smugly. I'd known she wouldn't be able to hold out.

Instead of telling me what I wanted to hear, she asked, "Is it really necessary for us to do this now? I did get shot twice yesterday, after all."

I lifted one eyebrow and replied, "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but it's necessary for us to go over this."

She nodded and sighed. "All right."

"Did you see any of the men?"

I watched as she frowned, "There was one man that stood out from the others. He was about six feet four or five inches tall and very muscular, and he had red hair. There was another man I think I've met before. Or at least, I've heard his voice. He had a Jersey City accent. I just wish I could remember when I'd heard it before."

At her description of the redhead, I felt uneasy. When she added the bit about the Jersey City accent, my unease grew. I stood. "Thank you for your time. I'll be back in touch with you when I have things taken care of. In the meantime, you and Bree will be expected to stay put in this apartment. If you need anything, just lift the phone and let the person on the other end know what it is you want."

I was getting ready to turn, when she shook her head. "I have no intention of being a prisoner in here until you deem it safe for me to come out."

I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward, doing my best to intimidate her. Although she paled, she also stiffened and stood to face me. I crowded her intentionally before saying, "This is my building, and you came to me for help. You _will_ do as I say."

Her eyes narrowed on me, and she took a step forward as she placed her hands on her hips. "I came here because Micha said we should. I will_ not_ be a prisoner."

I smirked at her before leaning forward till I was inches away from her face, "Well, Babe, there isn't anything you can do about it now, is there?"

I saw her move, and before she could connect her knee, I pulled her gently into my arms so she wouldn't be able to injure me or herself. We were less than an inch apart as she turned to me with a look of angry rebellion.

"And just how are you going to make me stay here?"

I grinned and lowered my mouth to hers, but stopped when we were a hair's breadth away and replied, "I'll leave orders for them to stun you if they have to in order to keep you in the building."

Our eyes locked, and I felt myself growing hard with desire. Damn, she was potent. I released her, forgetting for a moment what she had done to Brown and knew an instant too late that I'd made a mistake. I did manage to deflect her knee so that my groin didn't get the full impact of her displeasure.

My eyes narrowed and I cupped her jaw in my hand as I told her, "Better watch that, Babe, or you and I won't be able to make any beautiful babies."

Instant fire erupted in her eyes, and I moved quickly in self-preservation. I heard her hiss of pain as I released her and moved away, but I wasn't dumb enough to give her a second go. I felt the heat of her gaze as I made my way to the door and exited the apartment.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I wanted nothing more than to hit that smug bastard where it would hurt the most. The sudden move he used to free himself had caused me quite a bit of pain, and one of these days, I planned to get him back. I was damned if we were going to stay here just because he'd said we had to.

I had just struggled into a sitting position when Bree came into the room. She hurried over to me and carefully wrapped her arms around me. "Are you okay, Steph?"

I nodded. "Yes. But that ass has another think coming if he expects us to stay in this apartment just because he deems it so."

I glared when I noticed Bree smile. "What?"

She laughed and replied, "I can't wait to see you two in action."

I thought that was a funny thing to say. I had no intention of having much to do with that asshole if I could help it. I just gave Bree a look, which made her laugh all the more. We made our way into the kitchen, and Bree got busy fixing us some breakfast. We didn't have any more of the dishes Micha had pre-cooked since we'd left them behind at our house, so Bree taking over the cooking was her way of making sure I didn't poison us both. I asked, "Want me to help?"

Bree shook her head. "No. You just relax. It won't take long. While we're waiting, though, you might want to call my school and tell them I won't be there for a few days."

My eyes widened as I realized I'd never gotten the chance to do that before we left. I nodded. "I'll do that."

As I watched her fix us pancakes with blueberries and syrup, I took out my phone and called her school. I'd just been connected with the office and was about to tell them who I was and why I was calling, when Bree spun around and grabbed the phone from me and tossed it in the sink before running water on it.

My mouth dropped open and I asked, "What'd you do that for?"

Bree stood at the sink, staring at my phone. Suddenly, she slumped and turned to lean against the counter. "I'm sorry. I just got this intense feeling of doom when you went to call the school. I think maybe it would be better if they had no clue where I was."

I grimaced. "Maybe you could just tell me that next time instead of trashing my phone?"

Bree looked down at the phone and her eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry!"

I shrugged. "I never liked that phone anyway."

Bree looked over at me. "Are you going to visit your grandma while we're here?"

I smiled at the thought of letting my grandma loose on these guys. I shrugged. "I'd like to, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. I don't want to put her in danger."

Bree giggled. "I'd take your granny any day over anyone else. She's really something."

I grinned. "That she is."

Bree's eyes got big as she turned to look at me.


	4. Uh Oh!

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 4: Uh Oh!

**Ranger's POV:**

Leaving the apartment on three, I headed up to my office on five. I was definitely going to have to talk with Micha when he got back. As I exited the stairwell door on the fifth floor, I looked over to the monitors, where Vince sat with one of the new hires. The man was almost six and a half feet tall, with a big, muscular build, and his red hair made it difficult for him to hide. I'd had reservations about hiring him because there were some spots on his record that were questionable. I'd also noticed since I had hired him, he was spending a great deal of time with a police officer working for the Trenton Police Department. The officer was Mickey Maglio, and he had a Jersey accent. After the talk I'd just had with Stephanie, I had a feeling in my gut I couldn't get rid of.

I saw Vince flick a glance my way and could see by his expression that he wasn't thrilled with this guy either. I gave a slight motion with my head, and by the minute nod of his head, I knew he would be keeping a close eye on the guy. I headed into my office and turned on my computer. I sat there for several seconds, just staring at the monitor, before deciding to pull up one of the search engines. For some reason, there was no mention of this Stephanie person when I'd the background search done on Micha. I needed to find out why. I tried to recall if I'd heard a last name, but there hadn't been one. Maybe if I did a search on the sister, I would find something on Stephanie.

Before I could finish that, I knew I needed to send a team to get my people out of Germany and back home. I lifted the phone and said, "Lester, Ram, Woody, and Cal…my office now."

I replaced the receiver and sat back in my chair, narrowing my eyes as I thought about how I wanted these men to handle the situation. I had one man in the hospital and two others staying in the embassy until the powers that be decided they could be returned to the States. There was a reason I'd questioned what Micha had sent us. He'd chosen to send it through the one person I could never trust. I questioned why she would get a legitimate message to me, and my first thought was she planned to somehow use this against me in some way.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Enter."

The door opened and my guys came in and fanned out in front of my desk.

I looked at these men I would trust with my life and said, "The message I received from Rachel might actually be true. I'm sending you four in under the radar. I want you to get Micha out of the hospital and the other two out of the embassy. Keep in mind that Rachel can't be trusted. I don't know why she helped the men by getting the message through, but she definitely has her own agenda."

Lester smiled. "Don't worry. I have no intention of letting that bitch get away with anything."

I met Les's eyes and knew my cousin had just as much reason to despise Rachel as I did. I knew I could trust him to handle this situation. The four men I was sending would not only get the job done, but they would make sure everyone got back home safely.

As the four men left my office, I turned back to the computer and again felt the frustration when I came up with nothing on either of the two females currently in the apartment on three.

**Bree's POV:**

As we talked about Stephanie's grandma, I had a sudden thought, and my eyes widened as I turned to Stephanie.

She smiled and nodded as she saw my face. "Can you just imagine my grandma being let loose around this bunch of guys?"

I giggled. "I would love to see your grandma let loose in here."

Stephanie stood slowly and made her way to the bedroom. "I'm going to check out a few things, and then maybe we can make a run to the store."

I raised an eyebrow. I knew Ranger had told her we were to stay here and ask if we wanted something. I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. "Are you sure we should try that today? You did just have a couple of bullets dug out yesterday."

Our eyes locked and I knew from the look on her face that was exactly why we were doing this now. Stephanie planned to use the situation to her advantage. I bit my lip to keep my smile at bay and gave a slight nod. While Steph went into the bedroom, I made sure I had everything I needed. By the time she came back into the living room, I had a list of goods we would need. One look at Stephanie and I was smiling. Apparently, she wasn't playing around. She was drop-dead gorgeous, and looking at her, one would never guess she'd just had two bullets dug out of her the day before. She was wearing black jeans, a royal blue blouse that brought out the blue of her eyes, and five-inch-heeled, black, strappy sandal FMP's. She had her bag on her shoulder and her curls were combed into bigger curls that gave the illusion of being tamed. She'd added extra coats of mascara, and the rest of her makeup had been applied with an expert hand.

Stephanie stopped inside the living room and looked around with a frown. I watched as she bit her lip, and then she sighed before her eyes hit mine. "I suppose you'd better bring the gun."

I showed her that I was already carrying it. I lifted the list and asked, "Ready?"

Stephanie grinned and said, "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

I giggled. I knew we were in for some excitement. Only thing I didn't know was just how much. Although my gift offered a glimpse into the future, there were times when it was silent. I had no clue how Ranger or his men were going to react to our little excursion. Stephanie opened the door and we headed for the elevator. When we reached it, the first thing we realized was that there was no call button. We looked around, but there was no way to get the elevator doors opened. I put my hand on the door and had a glimpse of someone pointing a key fob at the elevator and pressing a button. I turned to Steph and was about to tell her, when the doors opened and a man stepped out of the elevator in front of us.

Stephanie and I both froze at first, and I felt the tension in Steph at the appearance of this stranger. I felt the animosity roll off him. He was a slim, Hispanic, dressed in black, but looked like he should be wearing an orange jumpsuit and leg irons. He had gang slogans tattooed on his neck and a single teardrop tattooed under his eye. He was in his early twenties, and when he spoke, it was obvious his native language was Spanish. "Que haces aca afuera?" (_What are you doing out here?_)

Stephanie put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Que crees que estamos haciendo?" (_What does it look like we are doing?_)

The man took a threatening step forward and said, "Me estas enfadando, es lo que haces." (_You're pissing me off, that's what you're doing._)

Steph smiled and said, "Pobresito." (_Poor baby._)

The man's hands clenched into fists. "Debes entrar de nuevo a ese apartamento antes de que se me olvide que eres una mujer." (_You better get back in that apartment before I forget you are a woman._)

Steph rolled her eyes again before giving him the 'Burg glare and saying, "No me hagas ningun favor." (_Don't do me any favors._)

At that moment, Ranger walked out of the stairwell, and without taking his eyes off Stephanie, he told the other man, "Regresa a tu laboratorio, mi amigo. Tengo esto bajo control." (_Go back to your lab my friend. I got this under control._)

The man in front of us said, "Esta perra blanca no sabe la suerte que tiene, mi hermano." (_This white bitch doesn't know how lucky she is, my brother._)

My eyes widened as I saw Stephanie glare at him and say, "Sabia que no tenias nada inteligente que decir y tuvistes que empezar con los insultos pobresito." (_Figures you couldn't think of anything intelligent to say so you had to resort to name calling, poor thing._)

The man moved toward Stephanie with a menace I had never seen before, and only Ranger's, "Hector! Dale, ahora!" (_Hector! Go now!_) stopped him in his tracks. The look he sent Stephanie promised retribution, though.

Once Hector had slammed through the stairwell door, Ranger looked down at Stephanie and said, "That was beyond stupid. You don't make Hector mad and get to live to tell about it."

Stephanie wrenched herself out of Ranger's hold and hissed in pain. She turned to Ranger with her **'**Burg glare in place and said, "Keep your hands off me and stay the hell out of my way. I don't care about some gang boy wannabe."

I froze at the anger on Ranger's face as he took a threatening step toward Stephanie. His voice was barely more than a whisper as he said, "Need I remind you, _lady_, that you came to me for help. You will do as I say until Micha gets back and gets you out of my hair. That includes treating my men with respect."

Steph had her injured arm cradled to her, and I could see the tears she was trying to hide. As I watched, she seemed to lose her balance and bumped into Ranger. He helped her to stand upright, and I noticed the key fob on his utility belt was missing. Steph waved her good hand in the air and said, "I'll take that under advisement."

Ranger leaned into her and said, "You'd better more than take it under advisement, Babe. If Hector takes it in mind to dispose of you, no one would ever find the body." Ranger turned and his gaze went over me for a second before he slammed a blank look down over his face. "Both of you need to get back to the apartment. If you need something, I'll have one of the guys go get it."

Stephanie turned and started back to the apartment, and I followed her. When we got inside, she put a finger to her lips and held up a set of keys and a key fob. My eyes widened and I had a feeling this day was long from over. Sure enough, Stephanie peeked out the door five minutes later, and when there was no one there, she opened the door. She motioned me forwards, and we quickly made our way to the elevator. The doors opened when we reached the garage, and Steph pressed a button on the key fob. A Porsche Turbo 911 lit up when she pressed the button, and she grinned as we made our way to the low-slung sports car. Just as we were about to reach our destination, the stairwell door opened and a huge guy exited. He was well over six feet tall, with the muscular build of a Stegosaurus. He wore his hair in a crew cut, but he was a good-looking guy, and he moved quickly for such a big guy.

"Ma'am, I need you to go back to your apartment."

Stephanie turned and met the newcomer head on. "And just how are you going to stop us?"

The man before us blushed. "Ranger said we should stun you if we had to."

My eyes widened as I turned to Steph.

She rolled her eyes and said, "You touch me, and I will press charges faster than you can say boo!"

The man stepped forward. "I'm just trying to do my job, ma'am. I like this job and I don't want to lose it."

Steph's eyes narrowed. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hal. I'm kinda new here."

I could see the wheels turning as Stephanie smiled at Hal. "Are you really going to stun me?"

Hal turned even redder. "I'd rather not, but I will if I have to."

Stephanie motioned to the stun gun. "Is that the stun gun?"

Hal held up the gun. "Yes ma'am."

Stephanie asked, "How does it work?"

Hal answered, "You just press this part here to the skin and pull the trigger."

Stephanie then asked, "Do you mind if I hold it for a minute? I mean, is it heavy?"

Hal hesitated and then handed her the stun gun. My eyes widened as I realized what she was planning to do. She put the gun to Hal's arm and asked, "You just put the gun to someone like this and pull the trigger?"

Hal nodded. "That's all there is to it."

As soon as he said the last word, Stephanie pressed the trigger and Hal slumped onto the floor of the garage. She beeped the Turbo opened and we both got in quickly. Within seconds, we were on the street and Stephanie headed us in the direction of the nearest store. I had a feeling we'd definitely stepped in it this time. I just hoped we survived the explosion when it came.

**A/N: Hector's description **(_Cross between descriptions on pg. 277 and 286 HE_)  
**Hal getting stunned ** (_Of course Hal getting stunned is from TS even though I changed the scene._)


	5. In it Now

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 5: In it Now

**Ranger's POV:**

At the sound of hysterical laughter, I stood, opened my office door, and went out onto the floor. I listened to the men talking, and when I heard someone say something about Hal never living down handing his stun gun to a woman and letting her stun him, I had a sneaking suspicion I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. I barked out, "Report!"

There was silence for a few seconds before Vince sent a few of the guys a disgusted look and said, "The woman and girl made their way to the garage, and I sent Hal after them. He managed to get there in time, but the woman somehow got him to hand her the stun gun and then used it on him. These yahoos were laughing so hard, they couldn't follow the order to get the hell down there and stop her from leaving. She took the Porsche."

I lifted my eyebrow and asked, "My Porsche?"

At Vince's nod, my hand went to my utility belt where I always kept my keys, and I suddenly remembered Stephanie falling into me. I clenched my jaw and sent the men a cold look. "I want the GPS. _Now_!"

The men scrambled to their desks and started working to get me what I wanted. Finally, after several tense minutes, I was told that my Porsche was parked in front of a place called the Tasty Pastry.

With a clenched jaw, I hit the stairwell and made for the garage, where I grabbed the keys to the Porsche Cayenne and headed after my impudent guests. When I caught up with them, she was going to be lucky if I didn't let Hector do as he wanted with her. I made it to the Tasty Pastry, only to find my car was nowhere in sight.

I took out my phone and put in a call to the Comm Room. When it was answered, I had just one question. "Where are they?"

Vince paused for a moment and then replied, "They're on the way to Quaker Bridge Mall."

I disconnected the call and gunned the Cayenne into motion, heading toward the mall. Once I reached it, I connected to Rangeman and demanded, "Location."

Vince stumbled, which wasn't like him, as he said, "Uh…they're heading back our way."

My eyes narrowed as I growled, "I want a running commentary of every direction change they make. When I stop, I want them to be there in my sights."

Vince sounded much more in control and at attention when he replied, "Yes, sir."

As I headed back into Trenton, I got frequent updates on just where my car was heading. When Vince told me the Turbo was stopped outside a residence, I pressed the gas pedal down a little more and headed myself in that direction. When I pulled up behind my car, I did a quick search, which turned up nothing. I narrowed my eyes and decided to wait them out. They would have no idea that I was waiting for them in the Cayenne, and when they approached the car, I would grab them and deliver them back to the Rangeman building. I was feeling quite pleased with myself, when I saw Stephanie and Bree exit one of the homes with an elderly woman that looked older than dirt.

I watched as the three women made their way to the Porsche, and when they reached just the right spot, I opened my door and stepped out of the Cayenne. I strode forward, putting myself in Stephanie's path. The older woman looked up at me, and the look on her face was a little freaky. There was a gleam in her eyes and a huge smile on her face as she gave me a once-over that made me feel like a piece of prime beef.

Stephanie seemed to sense I was behind her, and she stopped before she walked into me. She looked up with a glare and asked, "What are you doing here?"

I lowered my face till it was inches away from her own. "I'm looking for my car that someone decided to steal. You're lucky I didn't call the cops and let them deal with you."

Stephanie seemed to pale and sway for a second, but she gained her balance quickly enough.

The old woman narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together. "Is this young pup giving you problems, Stephanie?"

I watched as Stephanie shook her head and said, "No, Grandma. He's actually letting us stay in his building till Micha returns."

The old woman shook her head. "Now there's a good waste of manhood."

Stephanie turned to me and grimaced. "Look, I'm sorry I borrowed your car, and we'll have it back as soon as we can, but when I called Grandma, she said she needed a ride to the funeral home for a viewing. We were just going to drop her off and head back."

I held Stephanie's gaze for several seconds before I nodded and said, "Get in the Cayenne, and we'll drop her off on the way back to Rangeman."

I watched as Stephanie sighed and rolled her eye before saying, "Let me get something from the car first."

I watched as she headed for the Turbo and fobbed it open. She opened the door, and I saw her pale at the same moment that she said, "Oh _shit_!"

Stephanie turned with a panicked look on her face and said, "There's a bomb in the car."

I turned to Bree and the old woman and ordered, "In the Cayenne." Then I ran forward and grabbed Stephanie. She hissed in pain as I lifted her and ran back toward the Cayenne, tossing her in on the driver's side before following her in and starting the engine. I floored the gas pedal after putting the vehicle into reverse, and we rocketed backwards. I'd just gotten us out of the danger zone when the Turbo went up like the fourth of July. I didn't stop to talk to the police or firemen that would be headed this way. Instead, I did a hundred and eighty degree turn and had us rocketing toward Rangeman as fast as I could.

My eyes went to Stephanie, and as we made our way through Trenton, I asked, "Were you both out of the car at the same time?"

Stephanie nodded grimly. "At the Tasty Pastry for about ten minutes, then we were inside Grandma's house for about twenty."

I nodded and put a call through to Vince in the Comm Room. I told him I wanted Manny and Hector to check out the car and get back to me with what they found. I disconnected in time to pull into the Rangeman garage.

Stephanie turned to me and said, "I thought we were going to take Grandma to the funeral home."

"We can't take a chance that the bomb wasn't planted at your grandmother's. Until I know it's safe, she'll have to stay in the apartment with you and Bree."

I watched Stephanie's eyes widen, and she and Bree exchanged amused glances. I pulled into my parking space and wondered what was in store for us now. We got out of the vehicle, and I noticed Manny and Hector came out of the stairwell and were headed for one of the SUVs. Hector noticed Stephanie beside me, and he stilled to give her a glare. She gave him some kind of hand gesture before putting her hands on her hips and glaring right back. I noticed the surprise on Manny's face, because no one was dumb enough to challenge Hector.

They headed out and I just shook my head and said, "You must like to live dangerously."

Stephanie turned to me with a glare, but remained silent.

**Stephanie's POV:**

When Hector entered the garage, his attitude pissed me off, so I sent him an Italian hand gesture and a glare and then turned to Ranger in time to hear him say something about my liking to live dangerously. I sent him a glare as well and then turned toward the elevator, but had to stop as I no longer had a key fob to open the doors. Ranger made his way slowly over to where we were waiting, and as the elevator opened, his hand descended on my neck and I froze.

Ranger leaned down and whispered, "Be careful, Babe. You're treading on thin ice. Chuck the attitude, or you might not like the consequences."

All I could do was stand there frozen. Suddenly, Ranger jumped and released his hold on my neck, and I saw my grandmother grinning from ear to ear.

She looked up at Ranger, and I could see her moving her dentures around in her mouth. "You have a pretty impressive package, young man. If I were ten years younger, I would give you a run for your money."

I could swear I saw Ranger shudder, but his face remained like stone. My eyes locked with his, and I knew this wasn't over. We rode up to three in the elevator, and Ranger escorted us to the apartment and used his key fob to let us in. Once we were inside, he went to a panel on the wall. I watched as he opened the panel and pressed some buttons before locking it and turning to where the three of us stood.

His gaze locked with mine and he said, "I've programed the panel to alert me if any of you try to leave the apartment." Ranger gave a partial smile. "You're locked down, Babe."

I raised an eyebrow and just stared silently at him. He might think there was no way out, but he hadn't met me yet. He smiled smugly and gave me a smart-ass salute before making his way to the door and working his key fob to unlock the door. When he was on the other side, I let loose the scream I'd been holding back. I was rewarded with a deep chuckle from the other side. I narrowed my eyes and pressed my lips together as I thought to myself, _You want a war buddy? Bring it on._

I turned and noticed that Grandma and Bree were both grinning. I couldn't stop the growl that came out when I asked them, "What?"

Grandma Mazur came over and hugged me. "Not a thing, Stephanie. What's our plan?"

The sudden loud growl coming from my stomach decided for me on what our next step should be. I sighed and, with a slight shrug, said, "I guess we go see what we can find to eat."

In the kitchen, Grandma went to the fridge while Bree and I checked the cupboards and the pantry. We found a variety of goods that could be used to make a passable meal. When I saw the brown sugar and canned pineapple, I got excited and took it over to where Grandma was cooking hamburgers. I held up my bounty and smiled. "What else do we need for pineapple upside down cake?"

Grandma smiled and handed the pancake turner to Bree. "Watch these burgers while I whip us up some dessert."

I anxiously watched as Grandma got out the flour, baking soda, vanilla, sugar, eggs, and butter. As I watched, she measured and put the ingredients in a bowl and stirred them all together. She melted a bit of the butter, and after greasing a cake pan, she poured the melted butter in the bottom and then crumbled brown sugar finely over that. Next, she took the can of pineapple and drained off the juice before cutting the pineapple pieces into small chunks and placing them on the bottom of the pan with the butter and brown sugar. Once that was done, she took the cake batter and poured it into the pan as well, and then placed the cake in the oven. With that done, she went back to the hamburgers and sliced an onion to add to the meat frying in the pan.

Grandma turned and said, "See if there's any cheese in the fridge."

I went over and opened the door. There were several "healthy" versions of cheese that I knew wouldn't cut the mustard. I wrinkled my nose and said, "We have the Grinch's version of cheese. Nothing really good for consumption."

Bree bit her lip and asked, "Is there any cream in the fridge?"

I checked. "Low-fat, light whipping cream."

"My teacher showed us a way to make the low-fat cheeses taste more like the good cheeses. I could give it a try."

I looked at Grandma, and she shrugged. "Give it a go, kiddo," I said.

Bree took the ingredients out of the fridge, and I watched as she put them together in a bowl. She shredded the cheese and mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients until it looked like a spreadable cheese. She took a taste and shrugged. "Not bad. Not as good as the really good cheeses, but it'll do."

I took a taste and moaned. "What do you mean, not bad? This is really good."

Grandma turned off the burgers and said, "Let's eat."

We spread the cheese mixture Bree had made on our burgers and dug in. As we ate, we made small talk, catching up with Grandma about what she'd been up to the past four months. I also watched Bree and realized what a beautiful young woman she was growing up to be. At barely five feet in height, she was lucky if she weighed ninety-five pounds soaking wet. Her hair was silky and such a dark black that it actually had a blue tint in certain light. Her eyes were a pale blue, and she had a pale copper skin tone. I knew that she and Micha had Sioux blood in their makeup. Bree was stunning, and at fourteen, I could see she was already drop-dead gorgeous.

We finished our burgers and cleaned up the kitchen while Grandma took the cake out of the oven to cool. There was a knock on the door, and I gave Grandma and Bree a puzzled look before heading to the door to see who was there. I looked out the peephole and saw a massive tank of a man. He had to be six and a half feet tall and had about three hundred pounds of pure muscle on his frame. He was bald headed and black and looked none too happy at the moment. I opened the door and watched as he pressed some numbers into a key fob before stepping into the apartment.

He nodded solemnly and said, "I'm sorry, but I need to take your contraband and dispose of it."

I gave him a puzzled look and asked, "What contraband?"

He lifted his head and sniffed before wrinkling up his nose. "Some disgusting sugary thing."

My eyes widened in horror. I had a feeling he was talking about my cake. "There's nothing here that fits that description."

He went to step forward, but I placed myself in front of him and folded my arms across my chest, refusing to move. He looked at me as if I were a pesky bug unworthy of his notice. He went to step around me, and I moved to block him. He frowned and went to sidestep me again, and again, I moved in front of him. He glared at me, but I refused to move.

I lifted my chin and heard Grandma say, "Uh-oh!"

The man before me narrowed his eyes, and the look on his face told me I needed to move if I wanted to live. He went to by-pass me, and I put up a hand.

"Who sent you down here?"

He continued to glare at me and said, "No one _sent_ me down here. Ranger just said you had contraband in the apartment and asked me to come and retrieve it."

I put my hands on my hips and glared right back at the man in front of me before saying, "If Ranger is too chicken shit to come down here himself, then maybe you can take this message back to him. If I have to stay inside this apartment, then he needs to concede that what we cook here is our business and he needs to keep his nose out of it."

When I said the part about Ranger being too chicken shit to come down himself, the man's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. He stared at me for several minutes before giving a nod and replying, "It's your funeral." With that, he turned and headed toward a door on the other side of the elevator that had stairs written on it.

I closed the door and looked at Bree and my Grandma with wide eyes. "I think I might have gone just a tad too far."

Grandma laughed. "This is more fun than when Hollister Banks walked into Stubby Billings's funeral with his wanky sticking out of his drawers because he forgot to zip his pants and he got a stiffy when he looked at Stubby's widow."

I rolled my eyes and thought, _Great. That was a visual I could have lived without for a lifetime. _I swallowed hard and said, "Anybody for cake? If we don't eat it now, I have a feeling we may not get any. I don't know about you two, but I_ really_ need a piece."


	6. Enough is Enough!

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 6: Enough is Enough!

**Ranger's POV:**

At the knock on my door, I stopped what I was doing and sat back in my seat before saying, "Enter."

Tank walked into my office, and I knew by the expression on his face that he was biting through his cheeks to keep from bursting with laughter.

I narrowed my eyes and said, "Report."

Tank gave a minuscule nod and replied, "I went down to retrieve the contraband, but was unsuccessful."

One eyebrow went up and I demanded, "Explain."

Tank looked at the walls and then to the ceiling, as if he was looking for divine intervention. After several seconds, he choked out, "She said since you were too chicken shit to go down there yourself, then maybe I could take this message back to you. If she has to stay inside that apartment, then you need to concede that what they cook there is their business and you need to keep our nose out of it."

The fact that Tank was shaking with laughter wasn't lost on me. Neither was the fact that I'd finally reached the limit of my endurance with her. I stood, and the force of my motions had the chair rolling back to the wall and tipping over on its side. I didn't bother to acknowledge Tank as I turned and stalked toward the stairwell and double-timed it down to the third floor. I flung open the stairwell door, which had it slamming into the wall with a loud thud as I stalked to the apartment where I had left the three earlier. I used my key fob and unlocked the door. When I grabbed the handle and went to open the door, I was surprised that the door wouldn't open. I pulled out my lock picks and went to work. Within seconds, I heard the click of the lock being freed, and I again turned the handle and nothing. All right! I'd had enough of this shit. I stepped back and executed a kick, hitting the door at just the right spot, and the door went slamming open. I walked into the apartment and continued moving until I found the three of them in the kitchen at the table.

My gaze went to the cake pan on the table, and I noticed it was completely empty. There was nothing on any of the plates either ,but all three of them looked to be chewing something. I strode over to the table and placed my hands on the table, locking gazes with Stephanie. "You came to me for help until Micha returns. You will follow my rules from here on out, and you will do it with courtesy, which has been sorely lacking up until this point. If you don't like my rules, there's the door."

I suddenly became aware that Stephanie was white as a sheet and shaking. My eyes narrowed, but before I could say any more, she was standing, and in a voice that was deadly soft, she said, "I can't stay here like this! I will not be locked in this tiny apartment with nothing to do all day."

Although she looked petrified, she wasn't backing down one iota, and my gut was telling me I needed to tread carefully. I didn't know why she was reacting the way she was, but whatever was going on with her was very real. I narrowed my eyes as I had a sudden thought on what I could do about arranging for her to stay busy until all this was over. "What if I found something for you to do to keep you…busy, until Micha returns?"

Stephanie paled even more and put her hand up to her mouth. I took a strategic step back, but wasn't in time. Suddenly, she was spewing whatever she had crammed into her stomach, and the majority of it landed on me. I looked down at myself with resignation. When I turned back to her, she still looked a little green.

It was the girl, Bree, who spoke next. She was frowning as she turned to me and said, "I think she's reacting to the medicine."

I fished out my phone and pressed a number. When it was answered, I said only, "Brown. Apartment on three. Now."

I disconnected the call, and seconds later, Bobby was joining us in the kitchen.

His eyes widened, and there was a decided twinkle in his eyes when he took in my situation. He went over to Stephanie, but she backed away from him. Bobby lifted his hands and calmly told her, "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need to check you out so we can find out what's going on. It's either me or the emergency room."

Stephanie nodded and allowed Bobby to examine her.

I watched as Bobby frowned and asked, "How much pain are you in?"

Stephanie shrugged. "It's bad. Has been since I was thrown in the Cayenne, but considering I'm alive, I won't complain."

"Have you been taking the pills I gave you?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I feel like I'm on my last nerve all the time and like I'm out of control."

Bobby and I both froze at that comment because that was exactly how she'd been acting since she'd woken up from the surgery. Bobby flicked a glance my way before turning back to Stephanie and asking, "Do you have any allergies to medicine that you know about?"

Stephanie went to shake her head, but Bree spoke up. "Prednisone. She got a prescription for that once, and she got verbally and physically aggressive."

Stephanie's eyes widened. "I forgot about that. I nearly put Micha in the hospital before we figured out what was wrong."

Bobby looked over to me and raised an eyebrow. I knew we were both wondering how a little thing like her could take on Micha. But as I thought about it, I realized that would explain why Tank's size didn't intimidate her.

Bobby turned back to her. "How long since you took the last pill?"

Stephanie frowned, as if she were trying to remember. "I took them this morning when I woke up…but there's been so much going on, I forgot to take any when we got back. Why?"

"One of the pills I gave you was Prednisone. The other was Vicodin."

Stephanie shook her head. "I've never had Vicodin before."

Bobby looked at his watch and then took her vitals before pulling something out of his bag and handing it to her. "Take this and it should help with any residual effects from the Prednisone. If you have that bottle, I can go ahead and take it with me."

Stephanie glanced over to Bree and asked, "Can you go get it, please?"

Bree nodded and went to get the prescription. By the time she returned, I noticed Stephanie's color was looking much better. When Bree came back with the bottle, she handed it to Bobby.

Bobby stood and said, "If you have any other problems, just let me know."

Stephanie nodded and replied, "Thank you. I'm feeling better already."

Bobby grimaced as he looked at me and said, "Uh, you might want to go change clothes, Ranger. It's a little rank-smelling, if you know what I mean."

I glared at him, which had him laughing out loud as he left the apartment. Stephanie bit her lip and met my gaze. I saw the fear in her eyes, and it twisted my gut in knots because I had no clue why she was so afraid.

"I'm very sorry for my behavior." she said.

I held out my hand toward her and left it there, hoping she would find the courage to accept my offering. She straightened and seemed to pull herself up, and slowly, she reached out and accepted my hand. I squeezed hers gently and felt the lightening running through me instantly. One look at her and I knew she was feeling something similar.

She released my hand almost instantly and smiled weakly. "We're going to need a new door."

I nodded. "Don't worry about that at all. I'll get someone on it right away. If you still need something to do to keep you busy, then if you come with me, I'll show you what I have in mind."

There was wariness in her eyes, but she nodded and replied, "All right."

I turned to Bree and Stephanie's grandma and said, "I'll have one of my men put up a new door right away. I need to ask you both to stay in the apartment, though."

Bree nodded, but it was the Grandma who spoke. "No problem. Bree and I can make cookies."

My gaze narrowed on the old lady. "Sweets are considered contraband and not allowed."

Granny narrowed her eyes and replied, "You want us to keep busy, or do you want us getting into trouble?"

After a few seconds' pause, I simply nodded and replied, "I'll let Tank know it's okay."

I turned and Stephanie followed me toward the stairwell door. I noticed her looking at the elevator wistfully and realized she might still be extremely sore from the bullet wounds and my tossing her around earlier. I backtracked to the elevator, and when we stepped inside, she smiled at me. Although I had my blank face clearly in place, her smile laid me out. I felt as if someone had taken my heart in the palm of their hand and squeezed. We rode the elevator up to seven and I fobbed us into the penthouse.

I motioned toward the den and said, "Have a seat while I take a shower and change."

Stephanie remained where she was, and there was a look in her eyes I couldn't quite decipher. I decided to leave her alone with her thoughts. She'd learn soon enough. I headed into my bathroom and stripped completely before showering. Once I had my hair shampooed and had cleaned the smell from my body, I turned off the taps and dried off. I dressed in my regular Rangeman outfit of black cargoes, black fitted T-shirt, black socks, and black work boots. I brushed my hair back into a ponytail and tied it with a strip of leather. I went to my gun safe and grabbed another utility belt, loading it with weapons before slipping it on. Once I was dressed, I went back to the den, where I expected Stephanie to be. I frowned when I didn't see her and stepped farther into the room. My gaze gentled as I took in her sleeping form on the sofa. She looked so at peace, I didn't have the heart to wake her. She'd been through a lot in the past couple of days, and I figured sleep was the best thing for her. I moved out of ear shot and called down to let Tank know I would be working from my apartment for the remainder of the day.

**Stephanie's POV:**

While I waited for Ranger, I decided to have a seat on the sofa. I was on edge, wondering just what he had in mind for me to do. I was finally feeling more myself since Bobby had given me the medicine to counteract the Prednisone. As I sat there waiting for Ranger, my eyes started to get heavy, and I decided to close my eyes for just a moment. The next thing I was aware of, I was waking up, and I knew by the absence of the sun that it was late in the day. I stood and felt a little wobbly. The pain was starting to return, and I hadn't brought any pills with me. I wondered where Ranger might have gotten to and was just getting ready to take a look and see if I could find him, when I heard the sound of the door opening. A woman about my size entered the apartment and stopped when she saw me.

The woman had the same coloring as Ranger, although she had much more of a friendly face than I'd seen on him. It didn't take her long to recover from finding me in the apartment, and she smiled and said, "Hello, Dear. I'm Ella. Who are you?"

I smiled back at her and replied, "Stephanie. My friend Micha works for Ranger and said we should come to Ranger if there was trouble."

Ella nodded. "Micha was right. Ranger's the best. He'll keep you safe."

I jumped as Ranger's voice spoke from behind me. "I see you've met my staunchest supporter."

Ella's face lit with pleasure as she looked to Ranger. "I brought you your favorite chicken dish."

I watched as Ranger walked from behind me and went over to the older woman and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Tia. I know it will be delicious."

Ella laughed. "There's more than enough for two. I'll leave you two so you can enjoy the meal. Just leave the dishes in the sink."

Ranger winked. "Thank you."

With that, Ella was gone.

Ranger turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to join me for dinner?"

I frowned. "I should really get back to Grandma and Bree."

Ranger gave a slight shrug. "We could talk about the job I have for you over dinner."

I bit my lip as I tried to decide whether I should join him like I wanted or return to the apartment and eat with Grandma and Bree.

Ranger's gaze was focused on me for several seconds before he suggested, "You could always call them."

He handed me his phone.

I looked at it for several seconds before accepting it and calling Bree. She answered with, "It's okay Stephanie. Grandma and I are going to have roast chicken, stuffing, and green beans. Enjoy your dinner and we'll see you later. There'll be cookies for dessert."

I smiled. "Thanks, Bree. See you in a bit."

"Okay."

She disconnected, and I continued to hold the phone to my ear for another couple of seconds before I disconnected and handed the phone back to Ranger with a polite smile and a murmured, "Thank you."

He nodded. "We all set?"

I gave him a wry smile and replied, "I guess we are."

He motioned me toward the kitchen table, and once I was seated, he brought me a plate with a grilled chicken breast over rice and steamed veggies. The food was out of this world delicious, and I moaned with my first bite. I noticed Ranger shift in his seat, but didn't pay much attention to it.

As we ate, we made small talk. Finally, I worked up the courage to ask about the job. "So, what's this job you said I could do?"

"How familiar are you with computers?"

I grinned. "I know a thing or two."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, and seeing that we were both done with our plates, he stood and said, "Follow me."

I stood and followed him into what must have been his home office. He moved to stand behind the desk and motioned for me to have a seat in his desk chair. Once I'd taken my place, I looked up to him for further direction and asked, "Now what?"

Ranger pointed to an icon. "That's the Rangeman search engine. Open it up and I'll give you your own password."

I did as he said, and once I'd typed in my name, he told me to type in Babe as my password. Once I had, what popped up was amazing. I'd used search engines before, but nothing on this scale.

I looked up at him and asked, "Is this the kind of work you do?"

He nodded. "Partly. We do security, background checks, and felony searches. We have several cases we work on for a local bonds agency."

I stilled and frowned up at him. "Not Vincent Plum Bail Bonds?"

His gaze zeroed in on me and he gave a slight nod. "Yes. Most of our bounty hunting is high-dollar skips through Vinnie's bonds agency. Why? Do you know him?"

I rolled my eyes and asked, "You won't hold it against me if I say yes, will you?"

Ranger laughed and said, "Not at all. So how do you know Vinnie?"

I grimaced. "Dare I admit he's my cousin on my dad's side of the family?"

Ranger's eyes narrowed on me and he asked, "Are you the Stephanie Plum I've been hearing about since we came to Trenton?"

I felt the blood drain from my face and stiffened, biting my lip as I turned away. "I guess that would depend on what you've heard." I couldn't help becoming suddenly defensive. With everything I'd been through before leaving Trenton, I didn't want to deal with any of the trauma of the past.

Ranger took my chin gently in his hand and lifted my face to his. His eyes were narrowed on me as he replied, "Nothing unflattering."

I couldn't relax. He might not have heard anything unflattering yet, but there was a lot out there and it was only a matter of time. I just hoped I had the tenacity to make it through the BS that was headed my way when word got out that I was back in town.

I decided to change the subject and asked, "So how do I know who I'm searching?"

Ranger studied me for several seconds before replying, "Rodriguez goes through the files that come in and assigns them to people. You take the file and run a search to find out where the best place to find them is to make the takedown easier. As to the background searches, we look for anything illegal that might affect their ability to do a job or why they shouldn't be hired."

I nodded. "I'd like to give it a try. At least it would keep me busy."

Ranger gave a half smile. "You can start first thing in the morning. Just come to my office on five, and I'll get you started."

I smiled. "All right. I'll see you first thing in the morning, then." I stood. "It's getting late and the pain is getting worse, so I'll say goodnight for now."

Ranger chuckled. "Babe, not that I don't trust you…but I'll need to see you back to your apartment. I'll have Tank come down for you in the morning. You met Tank earlier today. He's the one you told to give me a message since I was too chicken shit to come down myself."

My eyes widened in horror before I looked to see how Ranger was taking that.

He winked at me. "Don't stress over it too much. I was pissed at the time, but I've come to understand you might not have been yourself when you said it."

Ranger placed his hand on my lower back and led me to the elevator. In no time, we were standing in front of the newly fixed door. "Goodnight, Babe. Sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning."

I turned and looked up at Ranger. I didn't know where this electrical current I was feeling was coming from, but something told me it had to do with this incredibly hot guy standing in front of me. For the first time in ten years, I cursed the hang-ups left over from my experience that made it nearly impossible for me to be with men. I lowered my gaze and whispered, "Good night," and then I slipped into the apartment.

**A/N:** **Okay, now you know that Stephanie really isn't as bitchy as she's been acting. Prednisone really can affect a person's personality.**


	7. The Past Uncovered

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 7: The Past Uncovered

**Ranger's POV:**

The alarm went off at five a.m., and I slipped from bed and dressed in my workout gear before heading down to the gym. I did some warm-up stretches and hit the treadmill. By the time I'd finished my workout, the gym was filling up. I headed toward the exit, figuring I would shower in my apartment, when I overheard Red talking to some of the others about Stephanie. I stopped to listen, and what he was saying quickly pissed me off. I could see the men around him getting antsy, recognizing that I was displeased with the conversation.

Red must have finally gotten an inclination that he needed to turn around, and when he did, he smiled, figuring I was hanging on his every word. Red grinned. "Hey, Bossman. I was just telling the guys about the story on the front page of the paper. We have a real celebrity in our midst."

"What the hell are you talking about, Red?"

Red gave a sneering smile. "Your mystery guest is who I'm talking about. The great Stephanie Plum, better known as the Bombshell of Trenton. You being new to town, you obviously don't know what a real whore you've let inside the building."

When I stepped up to Red, I knew there was no emotion showing on my face. My voice was deadly soft as I said, "Clear out of my building within the hour. If you're smart, you'll leave Trenton and never look back. Leave Stephanie alone or there will be no saving you."

Red reeled back, as if he'd been bitten, "You can't really want to take _her_ side over one of your own."

By now, the majority of the guys were in the gym, either finishing their workout or getting ready to get started.

Tank stepped up beside me and asked, "Something wrong, Rangeman?"

Without taking my eyes off Red, I replied, "Just telling the trash to pack up and leave."

Tank nodded. "An hour?"

I nodded and turned to go.

Red shook his head and said, "You're thinking with the wrong head. She's trash—"

That was as far as he got, because I swung around and slammed my fist into his face. I trusted my instincts about people, and there was something about Stephanie that called to me, even when she was acting like a spoiled princess. There was no way I was going to let this less-than-trustworthy jackass talk trash about her. I turned and headed for the door, saying only, "Remove the trash immediately."

Tank's, "Yo," told me I wouldn't need to think about it again.

I headed for seven, where I showered and dressed before sitting down to eat the lox and bagel Ella had left for me. There was a paper folded beside my plate, with a note telling me she wanted me to be prepared for anything I might start hearing. I unfolded the paper, and there looking back at me was a very young Stephanie Plum. She was standing over the obviously dead body of a big male with a gun in her hands. Even with the graininess of the picture, the fear on her face was palpable. The heading read: Stephanie Plum Shoots To Kill.

Reading the small story underneath, I felt my jaw tighten.

_Stephanie "Bombshell" Plum claims Trenton's golden boy, Lenny Stankovic, abducted her and held her prisoner for five months while he repeatedly attacked her sexually and physically. The family of Lenny Stankovic was appalled that she would make such claims when her own best friend was engaged to Stankovic. The charge Miss Plum has made against Mr. Stankovic has alienated Miss Plum from her best friend and Miss Plum's own fiancé, Trenton Police Officer Joe Morelli, as well as many others._

I tossed the paper down and stood to walk off some of the anger I was feeling. The minute I'd heard her tell me her last name, I'd thought about the words on the restroom stalls around Trenton that said Stephanie Plum was good to eat. After seeing her in person, I was torn between appreciating how true those words would be and wanting to punch the person who'd written that in the face. After several minutes, I made my way back over to the table and sat down to eat my breakfast. Once I'd finished, I put the dishes in the sink and grabbed my weapons before heading down to five. I exited the stairwell door and stalked to my office. There was silence as I made my way through the floor. I sat down at my desk and got to work, trying to ignore the deluge of thoughts going through my mind in regards to Stephanie.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I woke up earlier than usual and took a shower, which included shampooing my hair. After drying off, I dressed before combing some of Mr. Alexander's magic gel into my hair to tame it and then made my way to the kitchen, where Grandma was sitting with the morning paper. There was sadness in her face, and I knew without looking what was going to be in that paper. It was the reason I'd left Trenton ten years ago, although then, I was in a very vulnerable frame of mind. I sat down across from her and put my face in my hands.

She reached over a bony hand and said, "Hold your head up proud, Stephanie. You did nothing wrong."

I lifted my head and struggled to fight back the tears that wanted to fall. I was determined to not let them. All I wanted was for Micha to walk through that door, take me in his gentle embrace, and tell me everything was going to be okay. I pushed back from the table and said softly, "I need to go see if Ranger's still willing to let me do that job he was telling me about. I'll see you guys later."

Grandma placed her hand over mine and said, "It'll be okay, baby girl."

I nodded and turned away, even though I didn't have much faith in what she was saying. I'd just reached the door when there was a knock. I opened it and looked up into a vaguely familiar face.

The bald black man in front of me nodded. "Are you ready to go upstairs?"

I smiled weakly and said, "No time like the present."

The man I knew to be Tank looked me over for several seconds before nodding again. He stepped back and I joined him in the hall. He leaned down and said, "Keep your chin up, little girl. I got your back, and so does Ranger."

I looked into his eyes with tears burning at the back of my own and nodded, following him to the elevator. He used his key fob to open the doors, and we rode up to the fifth floor. After walking me to Ranger's office, he knocked on the door.

At Ranger's, "Enter," Tank opened the door. Once I'd stepped inside, he closed it, leaving me alone with Ranger.

Ranger's gaze rested on me as he asked, "Are you ready to get started?"

I lowered my gaze for a moment before lifting my eyes once more to meet his. "I'm ready."

Ranger stood and made his way to the door. He gave me a look before he opened it and said, "You don't need to worry about the men here judging you on the past."

My eyes burned with the tears I refused to let fall. "I'll return the courtesy."

Ranger gave a half smile and nodded. "It'll be just fine, Babe."

I was about to move forward, when something I'd seen the day I was shot became crystal clear. I lifted my head to Ranger and said, "They were there. The day I was shot. Mickey Maglio and Freddy Stankovic."

Ranger's gaze narrowed and he asked, "_Freddy_ Stankovic?"

"Yes, but everyone calls him Red because of his red hair and his quick temper."

Ranger asked, "Was Maglio a cop?"

I shook my head. "Not ten years ago. I'm not sure what he's doing now. Freddy was in the Marines. When Lenny's death was ruled self-defense, he promised to make me pay for killing his cousin someday."

Ranger reached out his hand and I flinched. He dropped his hand and asked softly, "Did he rape you, Babe?"

This time, I couldn't hold the tears back as I looked up at him and gave a small nod. I watched as Ranger's hands clenched into fists, and although I knew he was so much stronger than I was, I also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't hurt me. I didn't know how I knew it but, there it was.

Ranger nodded, his jaw clenched. "Have you taken self-defense classes since then?"

I nodded. "Micha has been a very good teacher."

"If you want to work on your skills at any time, Babe, one of the core team or I can help you out."

"I appreciate that, but I think I'm going to be holding off on that for a couple of weeks anyway."

Ranger grinned and opened the door. I felt ill at ease as I followed him toward a cubicle a short distance away. I felt like there were a hundred eyes on me, watching every move I made. I kept my head up and my eyes focused straight ahead. When Ranger stopped at a desk and indicated this was where I would be working, I sat down and grimaced.

"The chair isn't that great. My butt's going to be numb before the hour's out."

Ranger leaned over and whispered, "I'll have Louis see about getting you a chair that'll be more comfortable."

I grinned up at him and said, "That would be great."

Ranger just shook his head and turned back toward his office. I watched him go, and just before he went into his office and closed the door, he turned and stood for several seconds. My gaze finally made it to his face to see he was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. I blushed and got busy with the files in the in basket. I knew the minute Ranger closed the door, because I felt the eyes on me. I ignored it the best I could and concentrated on what I was doing. I'd been doing freelance searches for a company for the past ten years, so I was familiar with what I was doing. The system I'd used had nowhere near the scope that Ranger's had, though.

I finished the first two searches in no time. The minute I opened the folder for the third one, my internal sensors went on heightened alert. I looked at the picture and froze. The past came rushing back, and I was back in that room with Lenny and his partner. My hand came up to cover my mouth and I looked up, searching for the nearest restroom. I stood on shaky legs and hurried toward what I hoped was a bathroom. Without bothering to see what the sign on the door said, I barreled into the room and searched for the nearest receptacle. I was only vaguely aware of a guy hurriedly zipping himself up and exiting the room before I was retching.

For five months, I'd been in hell. I'd gone to dinner with Lenny and Mary Lou to celebrate their engagement, and Lenny dropped Mary Lou off and said he was just going to run me home and then return to her. Instead of taking me home, he'd driven me to his friend's house and they'd dragged me inside the house. Lenny had laughed and told his friend to have some fun and he'd be back later for his. Lenny had been over six feet and two hundred fifty pounds of muscle. His friend had been the same size, and he'd had a penchant for liking to hurt women. I'd tried to fight him, but I'd been no match for his size and strength. In the end, he'd beaten me and then stripped me down and raped me repeatedly before leaving me lying naked on a mattress on the floor. I'd been woken in the night when Lenny came in, and he'd had the nerve to laugh and ask how I'd liked it. Then he'd proceeded to take his turn. Over the next five months, they'd kept me locked up in that hellhole with more of the same treatment.

It wasn't until Lenny's friend came that last day and threw some clothes at me and told me to get clean because they had a little surprise for me that I'd known I either had to get away or I would soon be dead. I'd cleaned myself and dressed as quickly as I could and then gone to listen at the door. I'd overheard Lenny and his friend arguing. Lenny had said he wasn't done with me yet, but the friend had told him it was getting too hot and they had to get rid of me or they would get caught. Lenny had reluctantly agreed, but said he wanted one more time with me before they killed me. The friend laughed and told him, "Fine. The minute you get off, use this to blow her brains out." He'd then left and I'd heard a car start and drive away.

My mind continued to race as I continued to throw up what little was left in my stomach.

_I heard a chair scrape as Lenny stood up and moved toward where I was. He pushed the door open and came at me with lust in his eyes. I knew I had to act, so I rammed my knee into his groin as hard as I could and ran for the gun I could see through the door on the table in the kitchen. I'd just gotten a good hold on it and twisted to where Lenny was ranting that he was going to kill me, and when he moved toward me, the gun went off. I was unaware that I'd fired it or that I'd continued firing until the gun was empty. The police must have been close to finding me, because suddenly, the door was kicked in and I was hit with a flash before someone's arms were holding me. All I could think was I had to get away from the arms and I started fighting. It didn't even register that it was Joe's voice and he was there to save me. I just wanted away. I was taken to the hospital and examined by a female doctor. She apologized a lot, but said everything was necessary to show cause for self-_defense.

_I was numb. Once the exam was finished, I was told my parents were there to see me. The door opened and my mom and dad entered the room. They came close and my mother would have hugged me, but when I flinched away, she bit her lip to keep the tears away and gave me a shaky smile. _

"_It'll come in time. I'm just so glad they found you and you're alive. We can get through the rest."_

_My dad wrapped his arm around her and agreed. "We love you, pumpkin. No matter what."_

_When I was released, my parents took me to their home and I slept in my childhood bed. I woke up screaming in the middle of the night, and my mom came in and sat in the chair near my bed and told me she would stay right beside me the rest of the night and no one would be able to come near me. I was safe with her. _

Surprisingly enough, I had slept the rest of the night. The next morning, I'd had to go down to the police station and make my statement. Over the next few weeks, I'd tried to get back to normal, without much luck. For one thing, Lenny's friend had still been out there, and I'd been scared he would somehow get me again. The newspaper had printed stories about what a strong-willed child I'd been, and they'd seemed to enjoy reporting everything they could about me, including what Joe had written on the restroom walls all over town. They'd interviewed Mary Lou, and she'd accused me of killing Lenny because he loved her and not me, that I was being vindictive and wasn't a true friend. They'd even had an interview with Joe about how he planned to deal with his fiancé being a murderer. Joe's comment had been that I'd acted in self-defense, and even though he'd done his best to defend me, the papers had twisted his words at every turn.

Joe had come to see me regularly, and although I'd been able to be his friend, I hadn't been able to let it go any further. Finally, I'd decided to return his ring. I'd known I could no longer give him the life he wanted. Once the shooting had been ruled self-defense, Lenny's family had grown verbal in their hatred of me, and it had gotten very hard to stay in Trenton and heal. One day, I'd gotten in my car and just started driving. I'd been at the end of my rope and not in a very good place emotionally. It had been raining out, and even though I could barely see out the front windshield, I'd made no concessions on speed, so it had been inevitable that I would run into something. I'd been lucky it was a tree and not a human being. I wasn't sure my psyche could have handled another death on my hands. When I'd opened my eyes, there'd been a big guy leaning over me, and I'd screamed and started to fight him. A child's voice had brought me to full awareness and I'd stilled.

Micha had seen me crash into the tree and had stopped to help me. He'd had his little sister in the car with him. I'd later learned their parents had just recently been murdered. Micha had taken me home with them and helped me to heal. Although there were still those rare occasions when I had an episode where the past came back to haunt me, Micha and Bree had saved my life that day by finding me and taking me home with them.

I suddenly became aware that I had an audience. I turned to see Ranger standing a short distance away with a blank look on his face. I went to the sink and splashed water on my face before walking over to where he was standing. I knew what the question was before he even asked it.

"The file on my desk. It was a bit of a shock to open it and see someone from my worst nightmare looking back at me."

Ranger frowned, "There was more than one man?"

I nodded. "Lenny had a friend, and they used his house in the Pine Barrens."

Ranger's jaw clenched. "Show me the file, Babe."

I headed for the door and had made my way out onto the floor. I flinched as I saw all the guys looking my way, but I refused to shrink away like I was ashamed. I lifted my head high and made my way to my desk. Once there, I grabbed the file and handed it to Ranger.

He opened it, and after a minute, his eyes met mine. "You want me to have one of the other guys work on this one?"

I thought for a second before raising my chin and replying, "No. I think it would be justice if I was the one responsible for him being returned to the system."

Ranger winked. "If it gets too hard, let me know."

I sat at my desk and watched Ranger go. Once his door closed, I let my gaze scan the room and the guys standing there now looking at me. I took in the range of expressions and realized they didn't know what to make of me. I raised my chin, opened the file, and went to work. I wasn't going to justify my actions or volunteer any information. They could make up their own minds. When I glanced up several minutes later, they'd all returned to their own work.


	8. Another Victim

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 8: Another Victim

**Stephanie's POV:**

As I took the page out of the printer, my hands were shaking. I had the information on Lenny's friend. I'd never heard him referred to as anything but Tex. Now I had a name to go with the face forever imprinted on my memory. Gerald Campbell was now a thirty-three-year-old ex con that had been in and out of prison many times over the past eight years for a variety of reasons. At the top of the list were rape and murder. I placed the pages inside the file and closed my eyes, wondering what to do with the file now. I needed to know that this monster was behind bars…preferably never to get out again, but I knew that was unrealistic. According to the file, he'd gone after a witness at his last trial, but had been stopped by the girl's brother. Although the girl had witnessed her friend's abduction and had pointed out the man that had taken the other girl, the case had been thrown out because the victim refused to testify against Tex. It came out after the trial that Tex had threatened to take the girl and give her more of the same if she testified, and she was petrified he would make good on his promise. According to the file, Tex was still targeting the young witness.

I knew someone would get the files I'd finished, but I couldn't just let Tex's file go. There was a young girl being targeted, and I hated to think what might happen to her if Tex wasn't caught as soon as possible. I bit my lip and decided I had to make sure this one had priority because I knew just what he was capable of. I stood and walked with the file to Ranger's door and knocked.

At Ranger's, "Enter," I opened the door and stepped inside.

When I stepped into the office, he pushed back from his desk and asked, "What do you need, Babe?"

I hesitated, biting my lip before taking a deep breath and handing the folder to Ranger. "I finished the search on Tex. I know the files will be picked up…but he's targeting a young girl, and I refuse to let her go through what I did if there's something I can do to prevent it."

Ranger took the file with a blank look on his face, so I had no hope of guessing what he was thinking. His, "Have a seat," had me sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. I watched as Ranger read through the file. He frowned once and asked, "Why do you call him Tex?"

I tensed. "That's the name Lenny used when he talked to him."

Ranger's jaw clenched and he closed the file. He set it on his desk and narrowed his eyes, as if he were trying to decide what his next action would be. After several seconds, he lifted the receiver on his desk and pressed a button. He waited for a couple of seconds and then said, "My office," before replacing the receiver.

Ranger turned to me, and there was a gleam in his eyes that made me glad he was on my side. A knock on the door sounded, and he said, "Enter."

I stiffened as I recognized Hector and Tank. I was okay with Tank, even though his size made me nervous, but Hector and I didn't get along the last time we had a run-in, and I wasn't looking forward to being in the same room with him this soon after our last encounter. Hector's gaze zeroed in on me, and I stiffened my spine to sit up even straighter. There was no way I was letting him know I was less than thrilled to be in the same room with him. I refused to show any sign of fear.

The door closed behind them and Ranger nodded to me. "Stephanie has finished the search on Gerald Campbell. She's also explained why Maria said Tex raped her."

I was watching the faces of the men before me, and at Ranger's words, Hector suddenly looked infinitely more dangerous. He remained silent, but it was obvious he was taking in every word.

Tank asked, "What did she come up with?"

Ranger lifted an eyebrow, as if asking if I wanted to tell them.

I took a deep breath and replied, "When they kept me in that hellhole, the only name I heard him called was Tex."

Hector's eyes flared in rage and I flinched. He quickly masked his emotions and asked, "Fuistes una victima?" (_You were a victim?_)

I glared at him and replied, "Que, no viste el periodico de la mañana?" (_What, you didn't see the morning paper?_)

Hector motioned toward the file. "No mencionaron a este hombre." (_There was no mention of this man._)

I turned my palms up and tried to explain. "Tex era el dueño de la casa en los Pine Barrens. La policia verifico todos los records pero no habia ninguna propiedad en los Pine Barrens a nombre de alguna persona llamada Tex. Hasta que vi su foto en ese archivo nunca supe su nombre verdadero." (_Tex owned the house in the Pine Barrens. The police checked all the records, but there was no one by the name of Tex that owned property in the Pine Barrens. Until I saw his picture in that file, I never knew his real name._)

Hector glared at me and there was a look almost of hatred on his face as he demanded, "Asi que dejaste que le hiciera esto a otras muchachas?" (_So you let him go to do this to other girls?_)

I was furious. I stood with a force of rage I'd never felt before and clenched my hands at my side as I threw back at the bastard, "Claro que no! Le dije al pendejo de Gaspick que habia otro hombre! Hasta le hice un dibujo pero dijeron que no habia nadie que se pareciera a quien yo habia descrito! Me dijo que era una mentirosa y que me estaba inventando una historia para poder salirme con las mias por el asesinato!" (_Like hell I did! I told that ass Gaspick there was another man! I even drew them a damn picture, but they said there was no one out there that looked like I had described! He actually called me a liar and said I was just making up a story so I could get away with murder!_)

The door burst open and Micha stood there in the doorway, glaring daggers at Hector. "Que demonios pasa aqui?" (_What the hell is going on in here?_)

I was so happy to see Micha that I threw myself in his arms and clung like a lost child as sobs racked my body. He wrapped his arms around me and gently ran his fingers through my hair as he spoke softly to me. "Shh! Esta bien! Ya te tengo. No dejare que te haga daño otra vez." (_Shh! It's all right. I've got you now. I won't let him hurt you again._)

I didn't see the expression on Ranger's face, but I heard his words, "Esta usando el apartamento en el piso tres. Llevala ahi y si le hace falta algo me dejas saber. Yo me encargo de esto." (_She's using the apartment on three. Take her there and if she needs anything, let me know. I'll handle thi_s_._)

I hid my face in Micha's chest as he carried me like a child to the elevator. I heard murmurs as we made our way through the floor, and all I wanted to do was crawl in my hole where I felt safe.

**Ranger's POV:**

When I saw Stephanie's reaction to what Hector was saying, I wanted to punch somebody. I understood where Hector was coming from, though, so I couldn't be too hard on him. Gerald Campbell was targeting his sister, after all, and I knew I would be feeling the same if it was my daughter Julie involved. I told Tank to set up a team to follow and observe the SOB and if he went near another female, they had permission to take him out. I turned and met Tank's gaze as I repeated, "I said take him out, not take him down."

Tank nodded and left, but Hector stayed behind. I knew what he was wondering, but I couldn't give him any answers right now. I knew Stephanie's words had stopped him in his tracks and he was regretting what he said to her, but I couldn't tell him it would be okay, because I hadn't a clue in hell if she would be okay. We were all flying by the seat of our pants on this one.

I shook my head and said, "No te puedo dar la contestacion que buscas." (_I can't give you the answer you're looking for._)

Hector met my gaze and replied, "Tengo que corregir esto." (_I need to make this right._)

I gave a slight nod to acknowledge I understood and told him, "Vas a tener que penetrar fortaleza que ha construido a su alrededor y estoy seguro que Micha no te va a dejar acercarte a ella." (_You'll have to get through the fortress she's built around her. Plus, I'm sure Micha won't let you near her._)

Hector's gaze was unwavering as he repeated, "Tengo que corregir esto." (_I need to make this right._)

I narrowed my eyes on him and let him know, "Ve con cuidado mi amigo. Si le vuelves a hacer daño te las vas a ver conmigo." (_Tread carefully, my friend. If you hurt her again, you'll answer to me._)

Hector smiled and raised his hand as he turned to leave, saying, "No esperaria menos." (_I wouldn't have it any other way._)


	9. Nightmares

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 9: Nightmares

**Micha's POV:**

It took a while to get Stephanie settled down. When I got to the apartment, Bree's face was pale as a ghost, and I knew she was hurting every bit as much as Stephanie. I was torn as to how I could comfort both of them at the same time. I went back to what we'd done when Stephanie first came to us and sat us all down on the sofa with Stephanie in my lap and Bree in her lap. It had worked then and it worked now. They both fell asleep, and I maneuvered them so they were lying on the sofa while I went and talked with Stephanie's grandmother. I could see that she was equally upset, although she was doing a better job of hiding it.

When I entered the kitchen, she looked up at me with eyes shiny with unfallen tears and said, "If you find that man who did this to my granddaughter, promise me you'll make him pay."

I rested my hand on her shoulder and replied, "If I find the man who hurt her, he won't draw another breath."

She nodded and went back to pounding on the bread dough on the counter. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat back at the table. I was feeling the activities of the past twenty-four hours, and the pain was ramping up to out of control. It dawned on me that I didn't even know if Ranger knew we'd brought his daughter back with us or not yet. The way that kid had clung to Lester told me something pretty bad must have been going on. All I knew was Lester had stormed into that house and come back out with the girl and a piece of paper. There was a knock on the door, and I stood and headed to answer it. When I saw Hector on the other side, my first instinct was to slug him in the face for what he'd said to Stephanie.

It must have been obvious how I was feeling, because he held his hands up in the air and said, "Vengo a disculparme." (_I've come to apologize._)

I shook my head, not wanting to get into this now because I didn't want to disturb Stephanie. "Ahora no es un buen momento." (_Now's not a good time._)

Hector narrowed his eyes and said, "Quiero escuchar eso de parte de Stephanie." (_I'd like to hear that from Stephanie._)

I stepped toward him, but instead of backing up, he pressed forward, crowding me.

I lowered my face inches from his and told him, "Te estoy diciendo que te vayas! No necesita nada mas de ti hoy!" (_I'm telling you to get lost! She doesn't need any more from you today._)

Hector sneered in my face and came back with, "Si estas tratando de espantarme te quiero decir que estas equivocado. Yo no soy el que esta escondiendome detras de una mujer." (_If you are trying to scare me off, you are way off the mark. I'm not the one hiding behind a woman._)

I looked at him incredulously. What an arrogant SOB. I looked him up and down before replying, "Escondiendome detras de una mujer? Estas loco. Solo porque no he querido estar contigo te crees que estoy metido en el armario? No se te ha ocurrido que a lo mejor no estoy interesado?" (_Hiding behind a woman? You have a screw loose. Just because I haven't tried to jump your bones, you think I'm hiding in some closet or something? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I'm not interested?_)

Hector gave me a knowing look as he asked, "Es por eso que siempre andas mirandome? No estas interesado?" (_Is that why you always watch me? You aren't interested?_)

Hector stepped into me, forcing me back against the wall. He pulled my head down and his mouth covered mine with a force I hadn't expected. Our mouths fused and my body was on fire. Our tongues dueled for several long minutes before Hector released me from his hold and said, "Ahora dime que no estas interesado!" (_Now tell me you aren't interested._)

I was about to take his mouth with mine again, when I heard the screams. My head whipped around and I knew. I hit the wall with my fist and snarled, "Mierda!" (_Shit!_)

Hector stopped me from moving and said, "Dime como puedo ayudar." (_Tell me how I can help._)

I didn't have time for this shit, so I snarled at Hector, "Vete al carajo de aqui." (_Get the hell out of here._)

Hector sent me a mocking smile and said, "No va a suceder." (_Not going to happen._)

I hesitated for only a moment before telling him, "Llevate a Bree." (_Take Bree._) I knew Hector had a sister of his own, and I hoped he would be as gentle with Bree as he was with his own sister.

I didn't have time to worry about it anymore as I went to the living room to help Stephanie. As I took Stephanie in my arms, I saw her grandmother come to the doorway. I put a hand up, and she nodded and retreated into the kitchen. I heard her sobs as she walked away. I talked as gently as I could to Stephanie and watched as Hector gathered up my baby sister and held her with infinite care. It was like watching a totally different person as I watched him soothe her. I didn't have time to pay attention to the conversation between Hector and Bree, though, because Stephanie was reliving the horror she'd lived with for five months while those two bastards held her prisoner in that house in the Pine Barrens. It was all I could do to sit there and hold her instead of going hunting for the monster that had hurt her. I had no clue how long this would take. Sometimes, she came out of it quickly, and other times, the dreams took over and there was nothing I could do but hold her and wait them out. It had been nearly a year since the last dream, but it didn't surprise me she was having one now because of the scene I'd walked in on.

When Ranger stepped over to me, I was surprised to see him.

He said, "I'll take her. Hector needs you to take your sister. He has reason to believe his sister's in danger."

Without a second thought, I stood and handed Stephanie to Ranger, telling her with every step what I was doing. When he took her in his arms, she froze for a second, then took a deep breath and seemed to relax instantly. I'd never seen her settle that fast before, but I had no time to linger on the reasons, as I needed to take Bree so Hector could go. I made my way over to where he was sitting and holding her and said, "Yo me llevo a Bree. Ve con tu hermana. Espero que estes a tiempo." (_I'll take Bree. Go to your sister. I hope you're in time._)

Hector looked into my eyes and said, "Gracias." (_Thank you._)

Holding Bree in my arms, I watched as Hector raced out of the apartment.

**Hector's POV:**

When I knocked on the door, I was expecting Micha's reaction. I knew I owed Stephanie an apology, and I had every intention of making sure I gave her one. I had to admit I'd let my emotions get in the way. For the past six months, all I'd heard about was how wonderful Stephanie was. Everyone at Rangeman knew Micha was gay, but all he'd talked about was how wonderful this woman was, and I was at the point I wanted to hurt someone. I was ashamed that I had taken what I was feeling out on a woman who'd already been through too much. I wasn't surprised Micha was doing the caveman routine and refusing to let me in the apartment. When I took his mouth with mine, I felt a fire I'd never felt with anyone else before, and when Micha lowered his head, I was excited that he was initiating the next kiss. The screams from inside the apartment made the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. I rushed inside with Micha, and when he told me to get lost, I let him know that wasn't happening. When

he reluctantly agreed to let me help with his sister, I lifted her in my arms, as if she was my own sister, Angelina.

She was a stunningly beautiful girl, with silky black hair that shone blue in the right lighting. Her skin was a light copper, and I wondered why she and Micha didn't look more alike.

I spoke gently to her as I said, "Esta bien hermanita. Estoy aqui y no voy a permitir que alguien te haga daño." (_It's okay, little sister. I'm here and I won't let anyone hurt you._)

She moved her head from side to side, as if trapped in a nightmare not of her own making. When she said, "El le esta haciendo daño. Alguien detengalo. La va a matar. No dejes que la mate." (_He's hurting her. Somebody stop him. He'll kill her. Don't let him kill her._)

I rubbed my hand on her back and assured her, "El no te va a hacer daño." (_He won't hurt you._)

I was surprised when she shook her hand and replied, "No soy yo. Detenlo! No dejes que le haga daño a Stephanie!" (_It's not me. Stop him! Don't let him hurt Stephanie._)

I felt a chill race down my spine as I realized it wasn't her nightmare she was trapped in, but somehow, she was seeing the same nightmare Stephanie was held in. I tried to assure her with a promise I told myself I would hold myself to. "Yo lo detendre pequeña. Todo va a estar bien. Yo la protegere." (_I will stop him, little one. It will be okay. I will protect her._)

She looked at me as if she was aware that I held her, and it looked like I had reached her and she was no longer locked in the nightmare that held Stephanie in its clutches, when her eyes lost focus and suddenly, she was saying, "No! Hector! Ayudame! Ha regresado por Maria y dice que esta vez nos va a llevar a ambas! Tengo miedo hermano! No dejes que nos atrape!" (_No! Hector! Help me! He's come back for Maria and he says he'll take both of us this time. I'm scared brother. Don't let him get us!_)

I felt as if someone had dumped ice water on me. I stilled and narrowed my gaze on her as I asked, "De que estas hablando?" (_What are you talking about?_)

What she said next had me reaching for my phone. I knew there were people out there who could see things the rest of us couldn't, and even though I didn't know this girl, I knew I had to listen to my gut, and it was screaming at me to get to Angelina.

When Bree said, "Tex. Maria esta en la puerta y dice que ha vuelto para cojernos. Ayudame! Por favor no dejes que nos coja!" (_Tex. Maria is at the door and he says he's come for us. Help me! Please don't let him take us!_)

I pressed in Ranger's number. At his greeting, I told him, "Ranger. Te necesitamos en el apartamento de Stephanie en el tercer piso. Tienes que avanzar hermano. Angelina puede estar en peligro." (_Ranger. We need you in Stephanie's apartment on three. You need to hurry, brother. Angelina might be in danger._)

It was a matter of seconds before Ranger entered the apartment, and I watched as Micha allowed him to take Stephanie in his arms. She seemed to settle almost instantly, and Micha came over to take his sister from me. When he wished me luck getting to my sister in time, I thanked him and dashed out of the apartment to get to Angelina as fast as I could.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I was struggling to get away from Tex and Lenny, when suddenly, I felt an electricity run through me and knew I was safe. I settled immediately and snuggled into the warm comfort of the safety I felt around me. I became aware of voices. I made out Micha and Bree, but there was another voice that was familiar as well, although it was also new. I struggled to make sense of what I was feeling, but there was something there just beyond my reach. I suddenly opened my eyes and looked up into Ranger's veiled gaze. My eyes locked with his and I knew I was safe. I tried to sit up and moaned as the pain registered. Suddenly, my grandma was standing there with a glass and a pill bottle. I could see she had been crying, but I didn't want to embarrass her in front of the guys by asking what was wrong. I took the glass from her, and she shook one of the pills out into my palm. I smiled, trying to reassure her that everything was okay, but I wasn't sure I'd convinced her.

I took the pill and then drank the water she'd brought me. Looking up into Ranger's face, I said, "I'm okay."

Ranger gently ran his forefinger down my cheek and winked. "I don't mind you staying where you are, Babe."

Funny. If someone had said that to me even a week ago, I would've run screaming. Hearing it from Ranger made me feel something in a part of my body I hadn't felt anything from in ten years. I wasn't sure if I liked it yet or not. I sat up, and Ranger helped me to maneuver so I was sitting on the sofa. Although I didn't seem to mind his touch, I wasn't ready for anything more right now. I looked up to see Bree and Micha headed over our way.

Micha nodded to Ranger. "I appreciate you coming down. How's Julie doing?"

I saw anger enter Ranger's eyes before he quickly banked it. "Not good. She cried herself to sleep. Ella's with her right now."

Micha sat in the chair and set Bree on the arm. "I didn't know who Rachel was until Lester showed up. I've never seen Lester that upset before. He marched into that house and came back out with your daughter and a piece of paper."

I leaned against Ranger and let my eyes droop as I listened to them talk.

I was nearly out, when I heard Bree say, "Rachel told her you were dead. She wanted to stop Julie from running away, but it didn't work. When Julie thought you were dead, she tried even harder. When Rachel helped Micha, she was hoping you would go yourself." Bree turned to Micha. "That's why there was someone on the roof shooting when you guys left."

I felt Ranger tense and knew he was studying Bree. I put my hand on his thigh, and he stilled for a second before placing his larger hand over mine. I opened my eyes and bit my lip. Ranger's gaze was on me.

He raised a finger and flicked my nose before saying, "It's been a long day. I think we all need a good night's rest, and then I want the three of you to meet with us in the conference room in the morning."

I nodded and stood. I was a little wobbly, but once I was standing, I held my hand out to Bree and said, "How would you like to bunk with me tonight? We'll let Grandma have a room to herself."

Bree smiled impishly and said, "You just want to make sure you get a good night's sleep."

I saw Ranger's eyebrow go up and laughed. "You haven't heard Grandma snoring yet. I think she rates a nine point seven on the Richter Scale."

Ranger laughed and said, "I'm sure that's a bit of an exaggeration, Babe."

Bree turned widened eyes toward Ranger and asked, "You mean none of your men mentioned it?" She turned to me and grinned. "Wonder how long it will take them before they make a connection."

We headed into the bedroom laughing. For the first time in a long time, it felt good to laugh.


	10. Hurt Too Much

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 10: Hurt Too Much

**Stephanie's POV:**

I wasn't sure what time it was, but the sound of voices woke me. When I looked over, I saw that Bree was sitting up in bed, rocking herself back and forth. I reached out and placed my hand on her arm as I softly asked, "Are you okay?"

Bree turned sad eyes in my direction, and her voice was barely audible as she said, "It was bad. She hid so he wouldn't find her, and he beat her friend to death in front of her because she refused to come out. He kept telling her if she came out, he would stop and he would let Maria live, but she knew he would kill them both. She's blaming herself, and now she's afraid of her own brother."

I sat up and pulled Bree into my arms, gently caressing her soft hair. "We'll have to help her find her way back."

Bree shook her head. Tears fell down her cheeks as she said, "I'm a horrible person, Steph. I just want these visions to go away."

"You aren't a horrible person, Bree. No one should have to live through the kinds of things you see, let alone have to watch someone else live it."

"Hector brought her back to his apartment, but it's not going well. She's in a bad place, Steph."

"Don't worry. I'm going to go help her. Try to get some sleep."

Bree clung to me as I tried to move away from her. I kissed her cheek and told her, "It'll be okay. I'm going to bring her back here. You and Micha helped to bring me back, remember, so it's not like we don't know what's involved."

Bree sighed and hugged me closer before she nodded and said, "You're right. We need to help Angelina." Bree lifted her head, and I could tell from the way her eyes weren't focused that she was seeing something else. After several seconds, she slumped, and I waited till she slowly raised her head and our eyes met once again. "Julie's having nightmares too. It's bad! Ranger's going to need help. He needs your help. Micha and I will go help Angelina."

I bit my lip. "Are you sure?"

Bree nodded. "I'm sure."

I nodded and slipped into the jeans and top I'd discarded before going to bed as Bree slipped into her own clothes before we went to wake Micha. Micha was sleeping on the couch, and when we entered the living room, I gently shook his shoulder as I called his name.

He was awake instantly and asked, "What?"

"Hector's sister needs help. She's in a bad place right now, and he's going to need help with her because she's afraid of him." I paused before continuing. "Bree says Julie's having a nightmare and needs help too. I need you to get me to Ranger's apartment before you go to Hector."

Micha nodded and slowly stood. "All right. Let me get dressed and we'll get going." Micha handed me his phone and said, "Press two until the phone connects the call, and then tell Ranger you need access to his apartment. It's the only way to get you up there."

I nodded and took the phone while he went to dress. I pressed the number two, and when I saw the call was going through, I put the phone up to my ear. Suddenly, it stopped ringing and I heard, "Yo."

"Ranger? This is Stephanie. I need access to your apartment—"

"Get in the elevator."

The line went dead, and I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at it with widened eyes. _What the hell kind of goodbye was that?_ At that point, I didn't have time to worry about Ranger's less-than-stellar phone manners because Micha had joined Bree and me in the living room.

I turned to Micha and said, "He told me to get in the elevator."

Micha nodded. "Good. Bree and I'll take the stairs."

I bit my lip. "Let me just leave a note for Grandma to tell her where we are in case she wakes up."

I quickly wrote the note and we headed into the hallway. Micha pressed his key fob for the elevator, and I stepped inside while they continued on to the stairwell. I watched as the numbers lit up, and sure enough, the elevator took me directly to the seventh floor. When the doors opened, I stepped out and noticed there was an open door, which I assumed led to Ranger's apartment. I heard the sound of someone crying and made my way toward it. What I saw had tears burning at the backs of my eyes. Ranger was seated on the side of the bed, holding a little girl of about ten in his arms as she clung to him and cried her heart out. She looked so much like Ranger, it was obvious they were related.

As if he knew I was there, Ranger looked up, and the look in his eyes made my heart ache. He quickly slammed his blank face down and motioned me forward. I made my way over and sat down beside them. I wasn't exactly sure how to start.

The girl screamed and clenched her hands into fist, striking Ranger's chest as she cried, "Why didn't you come for me? You promised you would come for me!"

The brief glimpse of Ranger's face told its own story. It was as if someone had put a knife in his heart. He looked over to where I was sitting, and I could see the question as clear as day. I reached out and placed my hand on Ranger's shoulder so the girl would know I was there, but hopefully I wouldn't scare her.

She quickly turned in my direction, and her eyes widened as she asked, "Who are you?"

I smiled gently at her and said, "My name's Stephanie. You're Julie, aren't you?"

Julie's eyes widened. "You know who I am?"

I nodded. "You're Ranger's daughter."

Julie looked at Ranger with confusion. "Mom said you were disappointed I was a girl and no one even knew you had a daughter."

Ranger looked grim as he replied, "I've never been disappointed that you were a girl. My reasons for not telling anyone about you were to keep you safe."

Julie's face contorted in pain as she cried out, "But I wasn't safe! He was always there in the house…watching everything I did."

I froze, suddenly feeling as if I couldn't breathe. I didn't want Julie to shut down if I asked too many questions, but I suddenly had the feeling she had something to tell us that wasn't going to be good. "He watched you?"

"Yes! I told my mom, but she said I was making it up because I didn't want her to be happy."

"Why would she think you didn't want her to be happy?"

"Because I wanted to live with my dad."

"And she didn't want you to live with him?"

"No." Julie used her hand to wipe away the tears before adding, "She told me Dad paid her to take me to Germany with her so I would be out of his hair."

I felt anger at the woman who claimed to be this girl's mother. "You know she lied to you, right?"

Julie stilled and looked to her dad before turning back to me and replying softly, "I hoped she was. I even tried to run away, hoping they would send me back to Daddy. But then she told me he was dead and Robert started watching me even more. I got creeped out, so I tried running away even more."

Suddenly, sobs racked her little body.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before I asked, "Did he ever touch you, Julie?"

Ranger's head whipped in my direction, and the look on his face told me if he ever saw Robert, the man wouldn't live to say hello.

Julie hesitated before shaking her head no, and I had to bite my lip before forcing myself to ask the next question.

"Did he ever make you touch him?"

Julie looked up at me, and I wanted to strangle someone. The look in her eyes tormented me, and it was all I could do to stay still and wait for her answer. She lowered her head and whispered, "He would come in when I was taking a bath and watch me. There was another man with him, and he would rub himself down there. He wanted me to, but I wouldn't." The tears streamed down her face as she continued, "He told me when he came back that I wouldn't be able to tell him no because I would belong to him."

I felt Ranger tense, and I didn't need to look at his face to know whoever that man was, he'd just signed his death warrant. Ranger lowered his head toward Julie and said, "Baby, if I'd known what was happening, I would never have left you with her. I was trying to protect you. Three years ago, a man tried to kidnap you because he wanted to get back at me. When we took care of it, your mother wanted to take you to Germany with her to keep you safe. I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that, and I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Julie looked at her father with tears in her eyes and said, "The worst was when she told me you were dead."

Sobs once again racked her little frame, and Ranger held her close to him. I didn't know what else to do, so I leaned into him and we waited until Julie settled. After a couple of minutes, Ranger put one arm around me. I stiffened at first before I forced myself to relax.

Julie turned to me and looked at me for several moments before saying, "You hurt a lot, too."

I met her gaze and slowly nodded. "Yes, I guess I do."

Julie hesitated and then slowly reached out her hand and placed it over mine. "My daddy will protect us both now that he's found us."

I looked up into Ranger's face and saw the truth of her words in the raw emotion that was briefly on his face before he shut it down. I whispered, "Our own personal Batman."

Julie looked confused for a moment before she suddenly smiled and nodded. "The Dark Knight, because Daddy always wears black."

I smiled and replied, "Exactly."

**Bree's POV:**

I went up one flight of stairs to the fourth floor and followed Micha to Hector's apartment. Micha knocked on the door, and it was suddenly thrown open and Hector stood there glaring at us.

"Que quieres? Estoy ocupado." (_What do you want? I'm busy._)

Micha met Hector's less-than-welcoming gaze and said, "Vinimos a ayudar." (_We came to help._)

Hector looked at Micha with suspicion. "Porque?" (_Why?_)

Micha straightened to his full height and put his hands on his hips, declaring, "Por que hemos pasado por esto antes y tu hermana necesita ayuda." (_Because we've been through this before and your sister needs help._)

Hector suddenly looked more vulnerable, and I knew it must be costing him to admit, "Ella no me deja ni acercarme a ella y soy su hermano. Que te hace pensar que tu si la puedes alcanzar?" (_She won't even let me near her and I'm her brother. What makes you think you can get to her?_)

I spoke up for the first time. "Ella me va a dejar." (_She'll let me._)

Hector's expression gentled as he spoke to me. "Tu eres una niña. No puedo—" (_You are a child. I can't—_)

I cut him off. I needed this to end because it hurt too bad already and I didn't know how much more I could take. "Ella y esta herida y yo lo veo todo. Si no me dejas ayudarle ambos vamos a seguir pagando por eso." (_She's hurting and I see it all. If you don't let me help her, we'll both keep paying for it._)

Reluctantly, Hector replied, "Esta bien. Ven." (_Okay. Come._)

Hector led me to a bedroom, where I saw a girl of about nineteen or twenty kneeling on the bed, rocking back and forth with her arms wrapped around her waist. I slowly made my way inside, not wanting to frighten her any more than I had to.

I gingerly sat on the side of the bed and said, "Hola, Angel. Mi nombre es Bree. Mi hermano Micha trabaja con Hector." (_Hello, Angel. My name is Bree. My brother Micha works with Hector._)

Angel turned to me with a blank expression, as if all her emotions were under lock and key, as she asked, "Que tu haces aqui?" (_What are you doing here?_)

I replied, "Se que estas sufriendo. Yo se lo que el te hizo mientras te escondias. Tienes que dejar de culparte a ti misma. El los hubiese matado a ambos y se hubiese salido con las suyas." (_I know you are hurting. I know what he did to her while you were hiding. You have to stop blaming yourself. He would have killed you both, and then he would have gotten away with it._)

Angel turned to me and I saw the nightmare in her eyes as she said, "Estoy asustada." (_I'm scared._)

After seeing her nightmare, I knew what she was most afraid of. "Se que lo estas. Si no lo paramos ahora lo va a volver a hacer." (_I know you are. If we don't stop him, he'll do it again._)

Angel shook her head. "No se si soy lo suficientemente fuerte." (_I don't know if I'm strong enough._)

I nodded. "Lo eres. Eres tan fuerte como mi amiga Stephanie. Tex le hizo daño a ella tambien." (_You are. You are as strong as my friend Stephanie. Tex hurt her too._)

Fear entered Angel's eyes as she asked, "Como hirio a Maria?" (_Like he hurt Maria?_)

I nodded. " Si. Pero nadie le hizo caso y se mantuvo libre?" (_Yes. But no one would listen and he went free._)

Angel's eyes grew wide, and I knew she was petrified of Tex going free again. She asked, "Y si lo dejan ir libre de nuevo?" (_What if he goes free again?_)

I smiled at her and asked, "Crees que Hector permitiria eso?" (_Do you think Hector will allow that?_)

Angel's eyes met mine and she looked sad. "No quiero que mi hermano mate por mi." (_I don't want my brother to kill for me._)

I bit my lip. I didn't want to scare her more, but I knew she needed a perspective that would allow her to live with it if Hector did in fact end up killing for her. I told her, "Si meten a Tex en la carcel eventualmente va a salir. Tan pronto salga va a salir y buscar a otra joven y herirla." (_If Tex is put in prison, he will eventually get out. Once he gets out, he will go out and take another young girl and hurt her._)

Her eyes took on a hard glitter as she said, "Si tuviese una pistola le disparaba yo misma." (_If I'd had a gun, I would have shot him myself._)

I made a wry face at her and said, "Bienvenida a la Hermandad." (_Welcome to the sisterhood._)

Angel bit her lip and tears pooled in her eyes. She looked away and nearly cried, "No puedo parar las pesadillas." (_I can't stop the nightmares._)

I gave a tiny nod and assured her, "Mejoran con el tiempo." (_They'll get better in time._)

Angel's voice was barely audible as she asked, "Como puedo continuar?" (_How do I go on?_)

I reached out and placed my hand on the bed beside her as I replied, "Un minuto a la vez." (_One minute at a time._)

Angel looked down at my hand and said, "Tengo miedo." (_I'm scared._)

I turned my hand over so it was palm up and said, "Ven conmigo y juntas sobrepasaremos esto." (_Come with me and we'll get through this together._)

Angel shook her head. "Eres sola una niña. No puedo permitir que pelees mis batallas." (_Your just a child. I can't let you fight my battles._)

I hesitated before asking, "Sabes lo que es la cognicion?" (_Do you know what cognition is?_)

Angel shook her head as she answered, "No. En realidad no." (_No. Well, not really._)

I took a deep breath and then decided I needed to trust her with this. "Es la habilidad de ver las cosas como suceden. Estoy aqui porque te vi soñando y se que le temias a Hector. No porque pensabas que te iba a hacer daño sino porque lo has visto actuando violentamente en el pasado y porque acabas de ver a tu mejor amigo sangrar hasta morir al frente tuyo." (_It's the ability to see things as they happen. I'm here because I saw you dreaming and I knew you were afraid of Hector. Not because you think he will hurt you, but because you've seen him act violently in the past and you just watched your best friend beaten to death in front of you._)

Angel looked at me with something close to awe. "Asi exactamente es como me siento." (_That's exactly how I felt._)

I raised my hand that was still near her and asked, "Vendras conmigo?" (_Will you come with me?_)

Angel nodded and softly agreed, "Si." (_Yes._)

We walked out to the other room where Micha and Hector were, and I let Micha know that Angel was coming to our apartment with me. Hector objected at first, but when Micha asked him what was more important, what he wanted or his sister's comfort, Hector reluctantly agreed. When we got to our apartment, I showed Angel the room I would share with her. I knew Stephanie would need to stay at Ranger's apartment in order to help Julie, so everything should work out. I handed Angel a pair of earplugs, and she looked at me funny until Grandma Mazur let loose with a snore that might actually hit a nine point nine on the Richter Scale. Angel's eyes widened and we both started laughing.

We got ready for bed, but before I could crawl in, Angel asked what would happen if she had a nightmare and I told her I would know. She looked at me for several long seconds before her expression turned sad and she said she was sorry for the price I was paying.

We finally crawled into bed and slept relatively well until morning.


	11. Someone's Calling

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 11: Someone's Calling

**Stephanie's POV:**

When I woke, I was disoriented at first until I remembered I was in Ranger's apartment. However, I was in a different bed than the one I'd fallen asleep in. I looked over and saw the small form of Julie beside me, and I gingerly sat up. Although my arm and ass still hurt from the bullets I'd taken a few days ago, I was definitely moving better. I let my gaze take in the room around me. The sheets beneath me were a dream. I was just about to slip from the bed, when Ranger entered the bedroom from what must be the bathroom, and although he was completely dressed, he was towel-drying his hair. When Ranger stopped suddenly and lowered the towel, I was surprised to see his eyes zero in on me. Even from this distance, I could see his eyes had darkened with desire, and although I was uncomfortable, I wasn't running screaming from the room, which was what I would have done even a week ago. Then it dawned on me that the moan I'd heard had in fact come from me and it had definitely been less than innocent.

I bit my lip and softly apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give the wrong impression."

Ranger's eyes narrowed a fraction before he said, "It's all right, Babe. No harm done. Are you two about ready to get up for the day?"

I turned and looked at Julie and noticed that her eyes were open as well and she was watching the scene with caution. I smiled gently and asked her, "What do you think? Are we ready to get up and go eat breakfast?"

Julie's eyes lit up and she nodded. "Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?"

I wrinkled my nose at her and said, "I'm not sure on that. Your dad seems to have a thing about sugary things in the building."

Julie giggled and replied, "I know how to make them."

My eyes widened as I told her, "I'm impressed. The best I can do is reheat leftovers and make peanut butter and olive sandwiches."

Julie's eyes opened in horror at the mention of the sandwich, and I laughed before telling her, "Don't knock it if you haven't tried it."

Julie sat up with a worried expression on her face, and I instantly asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was rude, and I don't want Daddy to send me back to my mom because I was rude to you."

I leaned in and whispered, "Don't ever worry about that, Julie. Your daddy would never send you back to your mom. No matter what, I would never let him. You're where you belong."

Julie threw her arms around me, and we went over backwards. I winced slightly with pain, and Julie was instantly contrite. "Did I hurt you?"

I smiled at her. "Nah. I got shot a couple days ago, though, and I'm still getting better."

Julie looked crushed. "I'm so sorry."

I leaned my forehead against hers and said, "You have nothing to be sorry for. Believe me. Okay?"

Julie's eyes looked into mine for several minutes before she nodded and said, "Okay."

We looked over to Ranger, who was standing there watching us. I raised an eyebrow in question, and he gave us a half smile. "You two look like you've become fast friends."

Julie and I looked at each other with smiles on our faces and giggled.

Ranger shook his head and quickly ran a brush through his hair before tying it back, and then he turned to leave, saying, "You two have fifteen minutes to get to the kitchen if you want breakfast." And then he was gone.

Julie and I turned to look at each other, and then we were both scrambling to get ready for the day. Exactly fifteen minutes later, we walked into the kitchen and stopped at the table, where Ranger was sitting and waiting for us.

Our gaze was focused on Ranger, and somehow, we missed Ella being there until she said, "Why don't you two have a seat and I'll bring over the chocolate chip pancakes?"

Julie grinned up at Ella and said, "Oh, thank you! How did you know that was exactly what I was hungry for?"

Ella smiled and glanced over to Ranger, letting us know without words that he'd told her, before bringing each of us a stack of pancakes, and then she placed the syrup on the table.

We spent the next several minutes digging into our food. I couldn't help the moans that escaped at the delicious food before us. When I took the last bite, I looked up and noticed Ranger watching me with a hungry look in his eye. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself to keep my emotions in. Instantly, it seemed his look changed, and he turned away momentarily with a clenched jaw before turning back to us.

Ranger looked over to Julie and asked her, "Julie, how would you like to go with Tia Ella and help her today?"

I could see by the crestfallen look on her face that she desperately wanted to stay with her father. I glanced at Ranger and suggested, "Why don't you take the day off?"

Ranger's gaze met mine, and after several long seconds, he nodded and replied, "I can do that. So, if I'm going to play hooky, what would you ladies like to do today?"

Julie's eyes lit up and she asked, "Do you mean it? You'll stay with us today?"

Ranger reached out and took Julie's small hand in his. "I'd like nothing better, Julie."

Julie stood and launched herself into Ranger's arms across the table. I felt the tears burn as I watched them. A slight noise had me turning, and I saw Ella wiping at her own eyes.

She straightened and made her way back to the table as she said, "Seeing as how you three will be spending the day together, is there anything special you would like for meals?"

Ranger lifted an eyebrow and said, "And I thought I was the boss."

Julie giggled, and I couldn't help but join in.

**Bree's POV:**

I woke up, smiling because Stephanie and Julie were just fine. I knew Stephanie would be able to help Julie. Turning, I noticed that Angel was still sleeping, but then I heard the distinct sound of two male voices arguing. I frowned as I threw back the covers and padded into the living room. I was adequately covered with the shorts and tank top pajamas I was wearing, so I skipped the lightweight robe hanging on the door. I stopped in the doorway, where Steph's grandma was watching the scene in the living room.

She turned to me and grinned before whispering, "You might want to go back to your room, or you could get an education you aren't ready for."

I smiled wryly and replied, "I've already gotten that, Grandma. What's one more thing?"

Grandma looked at me sadly as she touched my cheek. "That you have, baby girl. What should we fix this group for breakfast?"

I bit my lip before grinning and suggesting, "Chocolate chip pancakes."

There was a twinkle in Grandma's eyes as she turned and headed to the kitchen. I turned back to where Hector and Micha were arguing in whispers so no one would hear them. The tension between them was palpable, and they got closer and closer with each go round. Although they looked like they were ready to kill each other, I knew there was nothing to worry about. I also knew that Angel was waking up and would be walking out here any minute, and if she saw them arguing, she would react quite differently.

I stepped into the living room and kept my voice low so I wouldn't be overheard. "Se tienen que calmar. Angel va a salir en cualquier momento y no puede verlos discutiendo asi ahora mismo." (_You guys need to chill. Angel will be coming out at any moment, and she can't see you arguing like this right now._)

Hector threw his hands in the air and glared at Micha. "Dicelo a tu hermano. El no me escucha." (_Tell your brother. He won't listen._)

Micha glared right back and stepped toward Hector, leaning down so he was just a whisper away from Hector's face. "Si estuvieses diciendo algo que valiera la pena escuchar lo haria." (_If you were saying something worth listening to, I would._)

Hector's eyes narrowed as his fists clenched and he replied, "Pendejo, uno de estos dias voy a acabar contigo." (_One of these days, dipshit, I am going to take you down._)

Micha looked mockingly at Hector. "Tu y que ejercito? Te puedes creer que eres la gran cosa porque todas las pandillas te tienen miedo pero a mi no me asustas." (_You and whose army? You may think you're hot shit because all the gangs around town are scared of you, but you don't scare me._)

I'd had enough. Angel was stirring, and if these two didn't quit now, she was going to walk out here, and then they would scare her to the point she might never trust them. I stepped between the two men in front of me and put a hand on each of them before saying, "Paren! Ambos van a asustar a Angel. Ya ella ha pasado por mucho. No le añadan esto." (_Stop! You are both going to scare Angel. She's already been through enough. Don't add this to it._)

Micha gave me a contrite look before saying, "Lo siento cariño. Tienes razon. Me voy a comportar... Te lo prometo." (_I'm sorry, honey. You're right. I'll behave…promise._)

Hector narrowed his eyes and glared at Micha. "Voy a tratar de tolerar a tu hermano." (_I will try to tolerate your brother._)

I glared at both of them and said, "Solamente asegurensen que la proxima vez que ustedes dos discutan lo hagan en su propio hogar donde no alla mas nadie alrededor." (_Just make sure the next time you two argue, you do it at your place when no one's around._)

Hector sent me a mocking glance and asked, "Tienes tan poca fe en tu hermano?" (_You have so little faith in your brother?_)

I grinned and flippantly replied, "Oh, yo le confio mi vida a Micha. Pero yo se que ustedes dos tienen que actuar como machos antes de que se rindan y se dejen estar juntos." (_Oh, I trust Micha with my life. But I know you two need to beat your chest and act all macho before you give in and let yourselves get together._)

Hector threw his head back laughing, and at that moment, Angel joined us, with Grandma right behind her. Before anyone could say anything, a phone rang.

Grandma winced before going over to the table where her purse was sitting and dug out her cell phone. She flipped the phone open and said, "It's your nickel. Make it good."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as she pulled the phone away from her ear and rolled her eyes.

She turned twinkling eyes in our direction as she said, "Looks like the gig is up, kiddos. Time to pay the piper."

I turned to Micha and we both smiled, knowing who was on the other end of the line.


	12. Emotions Unleashed

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 12: Emotions Unleashed

**Stephanie's POV:**

We were sitting in the den watching a movie that had Julie in stitches, when we were interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

Ranger hesitated before lifting the receiver and saying, "Yo." He paused for several moments, and although his posture didn't change much, I could tell that whoever was on the phone wasn't a welcome interruption. Finally, Ranger responded with, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Ranger replaced the receiver and laid a gentle hand on Julie's head before saying to me, "I need to go downstairs for a bit. Seems the police are looking into the Porsche going up in flames outside your grandmother's house a couple days ago. There's a group of four policemen downstairs wanting to talk with me to see what I might know."

I bit my lip. "Did they say who's here?"

"Doesn't matter, Babe. I'll go down and take care of it. Be back in a bit. You and Julie can stay here and watch more movies while I'm gone."

"Actually, is it all right if Julie comes down to my room with me so I can change clothes?"

Ranger nodded. "Of course." He stood and held out his hand. I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me up effortlessly. We walked toward the door, and Ranger stopped at the counter just inside the apartment. He lifted the key fob and handed it to me. "You'll need this to get back up here. Just point it at the elevator doors and they'll open. Click this button and the elevator will bring you up here."

I nodded.

Julie looked up and asked, "You_ have_ to go to work, Daddy?"

"Yeah, Baby. I'll be back as soon as I can, though."

Julie looked at Ranger for several minutes before nodding. "Okay."

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and asked, "Will you come down to the apartment I've been using so I can change? We can come back up once I get all cleaned up."

Julie smiled and nodded. I held my hand out to her, and she trustingly put her small hand in mine. We headed for the elevator, and when it stopped on three, I gave Ranger a puzzled look.

He winked at me and said, "The police are in the lobby. That's as far as they'll get without a search warrant."

Julie's face paled and she asked, "Are they going to make me go back to Mom?"

Ranger knelt down in front of Julie. "You remember the paper Uncle Lester had in his hand?"

Julie nodded.

Ranger laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "That paper gives me the right to raise you here in my home. Your mother can never come to get you."

Julie's eyes widened and she flung her arms around Ranger's neck. Ranger hugged the little girl to him and closed his eyes momentarily before setting her down in front of him. "I need to go talk to the police, Julie. I'll see you and Stephanie as soon as I can, okay?"

Julie nodded and then placed her hand in mine and smiled. "Let's go get you cleaned up, Stephanie, so we can get back to my daddy."

I smiled in return and winked at her before saying, "Let's just do that."

We got off the elevator and headed toward the apartment. I didn't have a key to the apartment, so I knocked on the door and we waited a minute till the door was opened by Bree.

She smiled, and by the twinkle in her eyes, I knew something was up. She held up a phone that I recognized as Grandma's and mouthed, "Your mom."

I rolled my eyes and went to shake my head, but she just smiled wider and handed me the phone. I sighed.

Julie looked up at me with a worried expression and whispered, "Is your mom mean to you too?"

I knelt down in front of her and explained, "My mom found out I was back in town from other people and not from me. She might be hurt, and it's hard to say I'm sorry over the phone. I was hoping to put it off for a while. My mom has always loved me, Julie. When you meet her, I think you'll like her."

Although I could tell Julie wasn't exactly sure if she believed me or not, she seemed to be giving me the benefit of doubt.

I looked up at Bree and then back to Julie and suggested, "Why don't you go in the kitchen with Bree and I'll be right there."

Julie looked up at Bree and studied her for several minutes before she gave a nod and said, "Okay."

I waited till the girls were out of earshot and then put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, what has happened to that little girl?"

My voice was hoarse as I admitted, "Not the worst, Ma, but it's still bad."

"If anyone can help her then, it's you. You bring her to see us when you can."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm sorry I didn't call you when we got here. Things have been kinda crazy."

"So your grandma has said. I'm relieved to know she's with you and safe. When it's safe, you need to come for dinner. No need to call ahead of time…just get here before six whenever you come."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you and Daddy."

"We love you too, Stephanie. Always."

We said our goodbyes and I wiped the tears from my eyes. I carried the phone out to the kitchen, where Bree and Grandma were sitting with Julie and a young lady I knew to be Hector's sister, Angel.

I stepped behind the chair Julie was sitting on and said, "I need to shower and change, if Julie can hang with you guys."

Grandma grinned. "Of course. Take your time. You talked to your mother?"

I handed Grandma back her phone and nodded. "Yes. We had a nice chat and got everything worked out."

I headed into the room I'd been using and noticed my things had been packed. I raised an eyebrow and decided I would wait till I had cleaned up before I got into what was going on. I showered and then shampooed my hair before drying off and getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top with an oversized blouse tied at my waist. After brushing out my hair and tying it back in a ponytail, I added makeup before carrying my shoes and socks with me back into the kitchen. I stopped in the doorway and took in the scene in front of me. Grandma had the girls stirring batter, spooning it onto cookie sheets, and removing baked cookies from others. Everyone seemed so at ease.

Bree looked up and our eyes met. She grinned and asked, "Need help with your shoes and socks?"

I returned her grin and said, "Please."

Julie scrambled from her seat and said, "I'll help you, Stephanie." She pushed a chair over and said, "Have a seat and I'll get them on for you."

I smiled at her and said, "Thank you, Julie."

As I lifted each foot, Julie placed the sock on it and then added the shoe. In no time, I was ready to go. Although Ranger hadn't invited me downstairs to the conversation with the police, I knew I was the reason they were here.

Bree looked up a few seconds later and whispered, "You're needed in the conference room off the lobby. I'll keep an eye on Julie."

I nodded slightly and turned to Julie. "I need you to stay here with Bree and my grandma for a few minutes. Your daddy needs my help for a few minutes, and then I'll be right back to try one of those cookies, okay?"

Julie looked at me for several seconds and then nodded her head. "Okay. You promise you'll come back?"

I leaned my forehead against hers and said, "I'll hurry as fast as I can. Promise."

Julie nodded and went back to stirring the batter. I looked at Bree and then Grandma and continued, "I'll expect there to be a cookie waiting for me when I get back."

Grandma chuckled. "Then you'd best hurry before we eat them all. Right, girls?"

Julie looked a little unsure until Bree leaned over and whispered, "Grandma's just teasing Stephanie. She loves her too much not to save her one. You'll see."

Julie smiled and went back to her task. I headed to the elevators and pressed the key fob. Then I pressed the button marked L for Lobby and rode the elevator down. When I stepped off the elevator, Hal was sitting at the desk inside the lobby. He paled when he saw me, and I bit my lip. "I'm sorry I stunned you, Hal. Will you forgive me?"

Hal blushed. "Uh…do you need something, Ms. Plum?"

"Please, call me Stephanie. I know Ranger is down here talking to the police. I think he could use my assistance."

Hal shook his head. "He didn't say anything about you joining him."

"It wasn't planned. Trust me, though…it'll be okay."

Hal reached for the phone, and after a moment, he said, "Ms. Plum is down here and wants to join you." Hal paused for a moment and then nodded before replacing the receiver. He looked up at me and nodded. "He says you can go in."

I rolled my eyes and turned to look around the lobby. After several seconds, I turned back to Hal and whispered, "Can you give me a hint as to where I'm going?"

Hal blushed even more and said, "Oh! Yes, ma'am. Through that door to the right, ma'am."

I rolled my eyes at Hal and said, "I can do without the ma'aming, please. After all, I'm not _that_ old."

I went over to the door Hal had indicated and opened it to see Ranger and Tank sitting at the table opposite none other than my cousin Eddie, as well as Carl Costanza, who I had gone through communion with, and his partner, Big Dog. There was another man in the room—a man that I had at one time thought I would spend the rest of my life with. It was funny, but looking at him now, I wondered what had drawn me to him all those years ago. Joe Morelli was movie star handsome, as well as a nice guy and a great cop. Our relationship had been like oil and water, though, and I had to admit we would have never made it for the long haul. Looking at Joe now, I felt none of the feelings I'd felt once upon a time. All that was left was a friendly feeling, with something underlining that wasn't so pleasant. I turned to Ranger and my pulse went crazy. The feelings he brought out were like nothing I'd ever experienced before, and they excited as well as scared the shit out of me.

I made my way over and sat down beside Ranger and then turned to Eddie and asked, "What's going on, Eddie?"

"We heard some rumors, Steph, and we're just checking them out."

I nodded, clenching my hands and lifting my chin. "Just what rumors are you checking out?"

Joe swept away the papers that were on the table in front of him and said, "Cupcake, why didn't you tell any of us you were back in town?"

I turned to Joe. "I don't owe you an explanation of my actions."

Eddie put a restraining hand on Joe, but he brushed it off and stood with a force that had me momentarily cringing.

Ranger placed his hand over mine, and I turned my hand over to take hold of his. Without taking his gaze off me, Ranger told Joe, "Sit down, Morelli, and keep your temper in check or you are out of here. You should know better than anyone the reasons for that."

Joe glared at Ranger. "Don't presume to tell me what I should know, Manoso."

I felt Joe's eyes on me, but kept my gaze on Eddie as I asked again, "What rumors are you checking out, Eddie?"

"Well, Steph, we heard that you broke in here with a couple bullets in you. Is there any truth in that?"

I nodded. "Yes. Ranger has offered to let me stay here until it's safe for me to leave."

Joe looked like he was ready to spit nails. "Cupcake, why didn't you come to me? I would do everything in my power to protect you."

I paled at Joe's words and could no longer hold in the hurt from all those years ago. I stood and stared at Joe with all the pain I had held inside and blasted it right between his eyes as I said, "You want to know why? Go take a look at any men's room in Trenton. You think that might give you a clue? You thought nothing about telling the whole world you'd screwed me before you left town to join the Navy. Yes, you came back and used my feelings to get back in my good graces. You even made me think you loved me and wanted to marry me. I told you I didn't want to go with Mary Lou and Lenny without you. I told you I didn't trust Lenny, that he gave me the creeps. You laughed and said I was imagining things. When you came into that house, I thought you had come to save me, but it wasn't true. You were there to further your career. When I told everyone what had happened, you were ashamed because everyone knew that your fiancé had been raped. When I kept insisting there was another man, you wanted me to take it back and let it all die down. No one believed there was another man, but there was, Joe! Gerald Campbell owned the house where Lenny took me. He was the man who beat me and raped me repeatedly. He's the man I told Gaspick about, but he wouldn't believe me and he convinced everyone else that I was lying as well. You believed him over me, Joe! And on top of all that, when guys came up to you and asked if it was true what was written on the bathroom walls all over town, you laughed and told them every bit! Damn you, Joe Morelli, you are an ass! But what hurts the most is that you took Mary Lou's side when she said all those things about me." My voice broke and I spoke in barely more than a whisper, "What's more…within a month of my leaving town, you married Mary Lou."

I turned and headed to the door, where I stopped and whispered, "I owe you nothing, Joe Morelli. Nothing."

I was unaware of the tears streaming down my face as I exited the room, and I had no clue what went on behind me. I walked toward the elevator on shaky legs.

Hal jumped up when he saw me and his face took on a fierce expression. He stepped toward me and I froze. He paled and raised his hands. "I won't hurt you, Stephanie. I just need to know you are okay so I know whether I'll need to get Ranger's lawyer to bail him out of jail."

I was about to answer, when I happened to glance out the front door and recognized Mickey Maglio standing there. Maglio recognized me at the same time, and he pulled out a gun and pointed it in our direction. Hal was mostly blocking me from Maglio, but I didn't want to take a chance on Hal getting hurt, so I tackled him as best I could, taking him down to the ground the instant Maglio's gun fired. I felt the bullets whizz past us, and seconds later, there was a return of fire and Maglio lay on the sidewalk in front of Rangeman, bleeding out.

When I looked up, Joe was standing there with his gun aimed in Maglio's direction. He was pale as he knelt down beside me. "Are you okay, Stephanie?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Joe looked at me with pain-filled eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Cupcake. Sorry I was too young to deal with everything in an adult way…and sorry I didn't believe you." He swallowed hard, and I could see him fighting the emotion as he shook his head and said, "Sorry about too damn much that I can never take back."

Joe stood and handed his gun to Eddie and then walked out of the building.

**A/N: Although Joe has done some things in Stephanie's past, he's not a bad guy in this story. His line, "Sorry I was too young to deal with everything in an adult way" says it all. Don't worry though… (insert evil smile) Ranger has plans on how Joe can make up what he's done to Stephanie, and he has the muscle to make sure it gets done.**


	13. Another Traitor Handled

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 13: Another Traitor Handled

**Ranger's POV:**

To say I was pissed was putting it mildly. I knew I would be talking to that ass Morelli after what Stephanie had told me, and I glanced over to Tank to see he was every bit as pissed as I was. When the shot rang out, we were immediately on the move, and although I was glad to see Stephanie on the ground and unhurt, I was stunned to see she had taken Hal down. We all had our weapons out, but it was Morelli that opened fire and took out Maglio. Good. One less person I needed to hunt down. When I heard Morelli apologize to Stephanie, he went a ways toward redeeming himself. However, there was something else he needed to do in order to call it good between us. I looked over to Tank and knew from the expression on his face that we were thinking along the same lines.

I reached down to offer Stephanie my hand, and when she took it, I helped her to stand, while Tank offered a hand to Hal. I couldn't help but smile at Hal's mumbling about being taken down by a little bit of fluff and how he would never live it down and he would have to work out twice as hard in the gym to build up or the guys were going to be on him all the time. I nearly had to bite my cheek to keep my blank look in place. I looked over to see Tank struggling equally as hard to keep a straight face.

Once I had Stephanie standing beside me, I turned to Eddie and asked, "Are we good here? You don't need Stephanie for anything else, do you?"

Eddie's gaze went to Stephanie, and after several seconds, he shook his head and said, "Nah. I think we're good. Joe will make his statement, and we'll go from that to see what we need." I could see the hesitation on Eddie's face as he asked, "Who shot you, Steph?"

Stephanie turned and replied, "I'm not sure, but both Mickey Maglio and Freddy Stankovic were there when it happened."

Eddie nodded. "All right. I'll give you a call if we need anymore, but for now, we're good."

I walked with Stephanie over to the elevator and waited till she was inside and the doors had shut before I went back over to the guys. We talked to Eddie, Carl, and Big Dog for a few more minutes, and then as they were leaving the building, Eddie took the rear position. As he got to the door, he turned and his gaze zeroed in on me as he said, "Just so you know, Ranger, you hurt Stephanie and I will find you. No matter where you run to ground. I've spent the last ten years searching for the owner of that property in the Pine Barrens where we found her. I'm still looking, and when I find the SOB, he won't take another breath. Stephanie has always been my friend, and one thing I know beyond a shadow of a doubt? She doesn't lie…ever!"

I moved my head in a slight nod and replied, "You'll need to find him before I do if you want the privilege of making sure he doesn't take another breath." Then I grinned and continued, "I have a name and photo of what the asshole looks like."

Eddie smiled, but remained silent as he turned and walked out the door.

**Stephanie's POV:**

I took the elevator to the third floor and made my way to the apartment. When I reached the door, Bree was standing there, and the moment she saw me, she looked relieved.

"Are you okay, Stephanie?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Just a little sore, but I'll be fine."

"Maglio's dead, isn't he?"

I nodded. "I need to figure how he fits into everything. Freddie's obvious, since he and Lenny were cousins. But somehow, this is all tied together. Maglio, Freddie, and even Gaspick. There was evidence of Tex's existence, so why wasn't it found?"

Bree wrapped her arms around me and spoke softly. "Be careful."

I brushed the hair back from her face and smiled. "I will. Promise. But I have to find out. I have to make sure Tex never hurts someone else."

Bree and I stood there for several minutes, then heard the sound of running feet and Julie's voice. "Bree! Is that my Stephanie?"

Bree pulled back and we grinned at each other as she said, "Looks like you've been adopted."

I nodded. "I guess it does. This wouldn't have anything to do with why my clothes are all packed, would it?"

Bree rolled her eyes. "You know it does."

"Maybe, but I think I'll wait for Ranger to ask."

Bree shrugged, giving me a knowing expression. "Well, when he asks, your bag is packed."

Julie came running toward us and wrapped her little arms around my legs. I hugged her back and whispered, "Are there any of those cookies left, or did you guys eat them all?"

Julie looked up at me and whispered back, "I saved you some."

I smiled and said, "Why don't we go have some?"

Julie placed her little hand in mine, and we went into the kitchen and joined the others. Grandma and Angel were sitting at the table eating cookies and drinking milk. Julie led me over to where she'd been sitting, and I sat down beside her chair as Bree took her own seat.

Julie handed me a cookie and said, "You can share my milk."

I winked at her and dunked my cookie in her milk before taking a huge bite. I couldn't help the moan that escaped as I chewed the ooey goodness. Once we'd finished our treat, Grandma looked my way with a twinkle in her eyes and suggested, "How about you take a plate of cookies to share with all those good-looking men in this building?"

My eyes widened and I replied, "I don't think we should rock the boat, Grandma. There is the _no contraband_ rule after all."

Angel's eyes opened wide. "This is contraband?"

We all nodded in response.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "No wonder Hector has a fit whenever I make cookies. I thought he just didn't like them. I didn't realize I was getting him in trouble every time I hid cookies in his bag."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and could see the humor in Grandma's and Bree's eyes as well.

Julie didn't seem to be paying attention to our conversation, but she surprised me when she said, "Bet my daddy wasn't happy when he found out Hector brought cookies into Rangeman."

Angel grimaced. "If I were to judge by Hector's response the next time he came to see me, the answer would be a resounding no."

We cleaned up from our snack and were at a loss as what to do next, when there was a knock at the door. I headed to the door to answer it, and just as I was getting ready to open the door, Bree raced into the room and placed herself in front of it and shook her head vehemently before whispering, "There's something evil at the door."

I hesitated before going to my purse, which was on a table not far away from the door. I quickly grabbed my phone and pressed Micha's speed dial number, and when he answered, I said, "Can you see who's knocking on the door?"

He answered with, "Hang on a sec."

There was a pause while I waited. The knock sounded again. I whispered to Bree, "Go back to the kitchen and keep everyone in there till I have this handled."

Bree hesitated before doing as I directed, and I felt a sense of relief that at least I was standing between the girls and harm.

Micha came back on the phone and said, "It's okay, Steph. That's Rod. He works at Rangeman."

"Why is he at the door?"

There was another pause before Micha questioned, "You didn't call for anything?"

"No. We were having cookies and milk…and yes, there are plenty left over."

"Hold on and I'll get right back to you. Don't disconnect."

I waited patiently, but when the fist pounded on the door behind me, I jumped and silently swore at the twinge of pain in my arm and ass. I slowly moved away from the table with my purse in hand. I knew there was a loaded gun in the purse. Although I hated carrying the thing and hated even more using it, I knew if I was in Trenton, it was a necessity. I wrapped my hand around the handle of the gun and pulled it from my purse. I'd just pulled it out when Rod started trying to open the door. I heard scratching sounds, as if he were attempting to pick the lock, and then the handle turned.

Before the door could open, I heard Micha ask, "What the hell are you doing, Rod?"

There was the sound of guns going off and someone falling, and then the door slowly opened. I tossed the phone and the bag on the sofa so it didn't make a noise and took my stance, raising the gun in case I needed to pull the trigger. The door opened and Ranger stood in the doorway with his gun drawn. The look on his face made me thankful he was on my side. I lowered my gun and he walked into the apartment, followed by Micha and Tank.

Micha moved a little slower than usual, and I noticed there was a spot on his chest that looked as if he'd been hit with a bullet. I raised a questioning look toward him, and he smiled and said, "Bulletproof vest. Are you all okay?"

"Yes. I had Bree make sure the girls stayed in the kitchen with Grandma."

Ranger made his way over to me and removed the gun from my hands. "You won't need this, Babe."

I looked up into Ranger's face and realized I was still standing in the stance I'd taken in case I needed to fire the gun. I relaxed slightly and asked, "Why was he trying to get in here?"

Micha shook his head. "We'll never know. As soon as I asked him what he was doing, he opened fire and Ranger had no choice but to return fire."

I took a deep breath and moved toward the door. Ranger put his hand up to stop me, but I shook my head and explained, "The name means nothing, but if I see who he is, I might have the answers I need."

Ranger nodded. "All right, Babe."

He walked with me to the door, and when I stepped out in the hall, I saw Bobby taking care of the dead body on the floor. At a nod from Ranger, Bobby turned the man over so I could get a look at the face. One look was all it took, and I gasped and turned to bury my face in Ranger's chest. Ranger's arms came up to wrap around me and he leaned down and softly asked, "Do you know who he is, Babe?"

I nodded without moving my face from Ranger's chest and mumbled, "Cody Stankovic. He was Lenny's younger brother. He left town after Lenny was killed and everything came out."

Ranger led me back into the apartment and over to the sofa, where he continued to hold me.

**A/N:** **I wanted to add a little footnote. The story is rated M for subject content, not for smut. For those of you wanting to see some Stephanie and Ranger action, sorry, but this story will focus mainly on other things, although I can't rule out all intimacy. Stephanie and Ranger will have plenty of story where they are working together though.**


	14. A Memory from the Past

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 14: A Memory from the Past

**Stephanie's POV:**

I stood in the doorway watching as Ranger sat stroking Julie's hair as she lay sleeping. As if he sensed my presence, he looked up and our eyes met. He covered the little girl and kissed her forehead before standing and making his way over to join me. When he reached the door, I moved back so he could easily make it through the door without touching me.

Our eyes locked as he stopped and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, "You're safe here, Babe."

I lifted a shoulder and nodded. "I know. It's just…"

Ranger slowly lifted his hand till it rested on my cheek and he said, "It's hard to rebuild a trust that's been broken, even if the person involved isn't the one that broke the trust. You had your trust in men broken, and you aren't able to just hand it back to any man who wants it. You don't have to apologize for that, Babe. Just remember I'm not the men who hurt you, and we'll start from there."

I felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes as I nodded. "I do know that you would never hurt me. I just…I don't know how to deal with all these emotions."

Ranger's eyes narrowed. "Just take it a minute at a time, Babe, and we'll get through this."

I looked at Ranger and shook my head. "Are you sure you really want me up here with you two? I have nightmares of my own, and you already have Julie's to deal with."

Ranger gave me a half smile and moved his hand till it was on the back of my neck. "I got it covered, Babe. Julie's gotten very attached, and I think this will be good for all of us. You let me worry about the nightmares."

I wanted to lean into him, but wasn't sure it would be welcomed. I was all mixed up and my emotions were all over the place, what with Maglio taking a shot at me and then what happened with Cody. The feelings whenever Ranger was near were different than I'd ever experienced before, and I really didn't know whether I was coming or going. I bit my lip and raised my gaze to Ranger's.

He studied me for several seconds before pulling me into his arms and telling me, "Whatever you need, Babe, I'm here."

I relaxed in his hold and rested my hands on his arms. He wrapped me in his hold and moved us to the den, where he sat us on the sofa so we could watch television. At first, I just let myself relax in the moment, but eventually, the conversation on the screen drew my attention. They were talking about the white slave trade, where young women were abducted and sold into slavery all over the globe. I pushed away from Ranger and turned to the screen. I had the sudden sensation in my stomach and everything inside me was telling me this was an important piece of information.

I turned to Ranger and voiced my thoughts out loud. "Something tells me this has something to do with what happened to me as well as what Julie was facing."

Ranger's eyes glittered with rage, but I knew it wasn't directed at me. "Let's find out if your instincts are right, Babe."

I nodded before returning to lie against him as we watched the rest of the show. By the end of the program, I had several pieces of information that I wanted to check out first thing in the morning.

When the show ended, Ranger turned off the TV and asked, "You ready for bed, Babe?"

I hesitated. "I'm tired…I'm just not sure how much sleep I'll get after that show."

Ranger looked at me for several moments before saying, "I have a king-sized bed, Babe. You're welcome to share, and I promise you'll be safe."

I bit my lip, not sure what I should do. Ranger placed a finger below my chin and lifted my face to his. "Why don't you get dressed for bed and we'll see how it goes? If it doesn't work, you can always go back to the guest room."

I nodded and pushed against him so I could stand and do as he suggested. Making my way to the guest room, I chose my most modest pajama set: a pair of blue pajama shorts and a short-sleeved blue pajama button-up shirt. I took the ponytail out of my hair and brushed it out before returning to the den, where Ranger was still seated on the sofa. Although I didn't think I'd made a sound, the moment I stopped in the door, Ranger turned to me. He stood and held out his right hand, and I moved forward to place my hand in his. He led me to his bedroom, and I was floored once again at the beauty of the room. Ranger let me dictate which side of the bed I would use, and while I crawled into bed, he used the bathroom to get undressed. When I heard the bathroom door open, I stiffened slightly, wondering just what I was getting myself into.

Ranger came back into the bedroom in a pair of black silk boxers and a black T-shirt that looked like it was painted on his body. He was sex walking, and although he scared the shit out of me, I also found that I was excited as well. He moved to the bed and climbed in on the opposite side from where I was. He turned so that he was facing me and raised an eyebrow and patted the mattress in front of him. "Come on, Babe. I promise you'll be safe."

I moved over till I was in front of him with my back to him and settled myself into his warm embrace. Ranger covered us and turned out the light, and that was the last thing I remembered. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep or when the dream started, but somehow, I knew it was a dream and that what I was seeing was from the past and not happening now.

_There was a knock on the door and I heard someone opening it. I was weak from a beating Tex had dished out when I'd tried to fight him off when he raped me a few hours before. Tex seemed to enjoy it more when I fought, because then he could be as vicious as he wanted. I could barely move because of the pain. _

_I heard Tex's voice asking, "What the hell are you doing here, dear brother?"_

"_Shut up and listen, you dumb shit!"_

_There was the sound of flesh meeting flesh, and then Tex was said, "You don't tell me to shut up, Timmy!"_

"_I'll tell you to shut up, and you'd better listen! I've done everything I can to keep the cops away, but__Gazzara__won't let up! Hell, Morelli is engaged to her and even he's given up on finding her, but not Gazzara. He's like a dog with a bone. He's convinced Lenny had something to do with her disappearance, even though everyone has told him to let it go."_

"_She'll bring us a fortune if I can break her."_

"_You may not have the time. Every time Lenny comes out here, you run the risk of getting caught. Kill her and move on to the next one."_

"_I'm not done with her yet."_

"_Why are you two so stuck on her?"_

_Tex's voice turned to a sneer. "We aren't into little girls like you, little brother. I've wanted this one ever since I read on the bathroom wall that she was good to eat. Just thought I would get my fill before selling her to the highest bidder. You'd be surprised at all the men out there that would pay a fortune for a beaten young woman—something about the black and blue bruising on the body that gets them off."_

"_That's disgusting."_

_Tex laughed. "Not as disgusting as watching you go at it with the eight to twelve-year-olds you favor."_

"_At least I know mine are pure."_

_There was silence for a moment, and it sounded as if someone was leaving. Then Tex said, "Hey, Timmy."_

"_What?"_

"_How about you turn your next one over to me when you get done, and we'll broaden our market. If there are those willing to pay for a beaten young woman, just imagine what they'll pay for a kid."_

_Both men laughed, and then the door shut, indicating one of them had left. _

I opened my eyes, and it took a moment before I realized I was in Ranger's bed, being held in his arms. I knew I had been through this dream before, but this was the first time I'd woken knowing what the dream was about. Always before, I was hysterical and it was all I could do to forget what I had dreamed because it took me back to that time in hell. But this time, I recalled that conversation. It was a memory I'd pushed to the back of my mind because that was the only way I could deal with it. I was betting that I had Eddie to thank for my rescue. From the conversation I'd overheard, he must have followed Lenny to the house where I was being held and then organized a rescue team. I narrowed my eyes as I thought about who'd tipped Tex off that it was necessary to kill me. That was also why I'd been told no one else could have been involved by the one person with reason to make sure the other man was never caught. It also gave me something to think about in relation to Julie's nightmare. The man had said the next time he came back that Julie would be his. I needed to make sure whether or not what I had figured out was actually true. If so, then I could give Ranger the name of the man who'd planned to hurt his daughter.

Ranger moved behind me, and I knew from his breathing he was awake. "You okay, Babe?"

"I had a dream. It was more like a memory—something I'd pushed to the back of my mind so I could get past everything."

"Something trigger it to come out now?"

I hesitated. If I told Ranger, would he act on it before I had all the information that was needed, or would he be able to wait until we had the pervert dead to rights? All I knew was Ranger had asked me to trust him, and I was surprised to learn I really already did. I turned so I could look at him and said, "I overheard a conversation when I was locked up. That's what the dream was about. If I'm right, I think the man that was talking to Tex might be the man who planned to take Julie."

Ranger stilled and the look on his face was fierce. A part of me was afraid, but another part of me understood that it wasn't me that was the cause of the look, but the man who would've hurt Julie. Ranger laid a hand on the side of my face and said, "You let me know as soon as you know for sure you're right, Babe. That way I can make sure that he doesn't take another breath."

I nodded. "You'll be the first to know."


	15. Traitor in Hiding

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 15: Traitor in Hiding

**Stephanie's POV: **

I woke up the next time to see Ranger walking back into the bedroom. He was dressed in workout gear, and it was obvious he'd been to the gym. He paused long enough to wink at me and say, "There's plenty of room if you want to join me in the shower, Babe. Otherwise, I'll be done in ten minutes and the bathroom will be all yours. I brought your things in so you'd be able to get what you need for the day."

I moved lazily and replied, "Thanks, but I think I'll wait till you get done."

True to his word, Ranger was done and dressed inside ten minutes. I watched him as he brushed out his hair before pulling it back into a ponytail and tying it back with a leather tie. Once he'd left the room, I slipped out of the bed and made my way into the bathroom, where I showered, including using shampoo and conditioner on my hair. Once I was dry, I dressed and brushed my hair out before pulling it back into a ponytail. Then I added makeup and headed out to the kitchen. Ranger was sitting at the table, and I was surprised to see Julie already beside him, eating her breakfast. Ella came over, smiling, and set a plate down for me. I thanked her before sitting down and digging in.

We were nearly done eating when Ranger turned to Julie and asked, "Julie, I need you to go with Tia Ella for a while today. I need Stephanie to look into some things for me. As soon as she gets done, we'll come and get you."

Julie looked at Ranger for several seconds before turning to Ella. "Can we make cookies?"

Ella smiled and replied, "We can make anything you'd like, Julie."

Julie turned and looked at me. "You'll come back with my daddy, won't you, Stephanie?"

I smiled at the little girl beside me and said, "Of course I will."

Julie turned back to Ranger and nodded her head. "Okay."

Ella finished up, and then she and Julie left.

Ranger turned to me and said, "I'd like you to use my office here, since what you're looking into involves Julie."

I nodded. "As long as your search programs are available, that would work."

Ranger led me to his home office, and I sat behind the magnificent antique desk and went to work on the state-of-the-art computer system he had. I plugged in all the names and hit the button to start the search. I had too much nervous energy to just sit there and wait, so I stood and walked over to the window to look out. As I let my gaze run over the view, I suddenly froze as I spotted someone on the street below. Although it had been ten years since I'd last seen him, I would never forget the monster on the street below me. I must've made a sound, because suddenly, Ranger's arms were wrapped around me and he was speaking gently.

I leaned back into Ranger and pointed out the window. "That's Tex. I would know that monster anywhere."

Ranger pulled me closer and whispered, "He'll never hurt you again, Babe."

"He seems to be searching for something."

I felt Ranger's nod. He pulled out his phone and told whoever was on the other end, "Gerald Campbell is across the street. I want video of his movements, and put Lester on following him."

Ranger returned the phone to his utility belt. I felt him stiffen behind me before muttering, "What the hell is Red doing with him?"

I focused on Tex and noticed he'd been joined by another man. When the man turned toward the Rangeman building, I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped.

Ranger leaned down to me and asked, "What is it, Babe?"

"The redhead with Tex. That's Freddie Stankovic, Lenny's cousin that was in the military."

I heard Ranger growl and turned to see the fierce look on his face again.

"That's how they knew you were here. Red used to work for Rangeman. I fired him the day the article came out in the paper about you."

Just then, another man joined the trio, and my eyes narrowed as I looked at him. Ranger placed his hand on my shoulder, and I turned into him and broke down into tears. I was so angry to realize that the man who should've done his best to help me ten years ago had known all about what was happening and had done nothing to help me. There was so much rage inside, I just wanted to go out there and kill the SOB.

Ranger pulled me into his arms and rocked me side to side. "I've got you, Babe. Shh…I've got you."

There was a sound from the computer that indicated the search had finished, and I pulled away from Ranger to walk over and check out what had shown up. As I made my way over, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. When I looked at the monitor, I knew I'd found the tie we needed to crucify the lot of them. I looked up at Ranger and said, "I've got the proof you need. It's all here. There's enough here to put them in prison for a long time—but something tells me they won't live that long."

Ranger joined me, and from the growl that escaped, I knew there would be no tomorrow for the men outside on the street. Ranger pulled out his phone again and spoke in a language I'd never heard before. I had no clue what he'd just said, but I had a feeling he'd ordered the death of the three men on the street. I did recognize Hector's name, but not the others.

Just then, my phone rang, and I left Ranger to go and answer it. "Hello?"

"Steph, it's Bree. There's another traitor. Whatever Ranger just said on the phone was overheard, and the traitor is calling the men on the street now. Lester's in danger because he doesn't know who the traitor is."

"Do you know who it is?"

"They're in shadows."

"All right. I'll see if we can't warn him."

I replaced my phone and turned to see Ranger looking at me. I held up my phone and said, "Bree says Lester's in danger. There's another traitor working here, and Lester doesn't know who it is. The traitor will tell the three outside, and Lester won't realize it till it's too late."

Ranger made a call, and when it was answered, he said, "Trust no one. There are traitors among us." Ranger replaced his phone in the utility belt and came to put his hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I will be."

**Lester's POV:**

I got the call from Tank about Ranger needing me to follow Gerald Campbell. I knew he was one of our FTAs, and if Ranger didn't want us picking him up and returning him to the system yet, then there must be more here than met the eye. I stopped by my apartment before heading out and changed into something that would blend well while I was out. I left my apartment fully loaded and ready for anything. I did the usual whenever I went out in disguise and covered myself completely till I was outside and away from the building. Whenever I had a detail where I needed to follow someone, I made for damn sure no one would recognize me and call out to give me away. Although with all of us being highly trained, you'd think it was a given not to acknowledge each other when you were out, but about five months ago, Rodriguez had gotten shot when he was shadowing a skip because one of the guys blew his cover.

I was in position where I could ditch my cover-up and was getting ready to pull it off, when my phone vibrated. I answered, "Better be good."

Ranger responded with, "Trust no one. There are traitors among us."

_Shit!_ I was glad I'd taken the extra precautions now, because apparently, there was at least one person working for Rangeman that wasn't what he portrayed himself to be. Having no clue who it might be, I knew that just like Ranger had said, I could trust no one. Ranger wanted me to treat everyone as a suspect to stay safe. I could do that. I never left the building without an emergency backup plan. I got eyes on my prey, and now I just needed to follow to see where they were going to lead me.

The men turned to face me, and the monster inside me wanted to come out and play. I promised myself that when Ranger gave the word, I was going for the one in the middle first. From the article in the paper such a short time after Stephanie and Bree had crashed into the building, I was betting Red was behind it. I promised myself he would learn what happened when you turn traitor on those you work with and throw innocents to the wolves.

Moments later, the men were on the move, and I followed.


	16. Ranger Takes Action

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 16: Ranger Takes Action

**Unknown POV:**

I overheard Ranger's call and knew he must have spotted the guys across the street. Every day at this time, I shut off the camera that covered that spot. The guys had been meeting there since Red had been fired and _she_ had returned to Trenton. Tex was looking forward to getting reacquainted with her, and I had to smile at the thought of watching that. Nothing I liked better than seeing a woman slapped around. I was hoping Tex would let me have a go at the bitch after he'd gotten his own back for her killing Lenny. I looked over at Woody and noticed he was doing something with the cameras he was monitoring. I frowned, wondering what that was about. I heard Tank telling Lester in the background that he needed to follow Tex, and I knew I needed to use my phone to warn the guys.

I looked over at Woody and said, "I need to use the John. Can you cover?"

Woody didn't look up from what he was doing, but gave a slight nod and drawled, "Yeah."

I headed to the bathroom as fast as I could. The going was a little slower than I would've liked, due to a childhood injury I'd received from my mother. Once in the bathroom, I took out my phone and sent a text, letting the guys know that Ranger was sending Lester to follow Tex. I knew Red would point Lester out to the others so they'd know who to look out for. I was just about to return to the monitors, when I heard Tank talking to Hector and a few of the other guys and a couple of the words I understood enough to know I needed to send another text. I again warned the guys and then headed back to the monitors.

As I sat back down at my seat, I noticed Woody was still monkeying with the controls on the monitors. I couldn't say too much or I would tip him off. A few minutes later, Hal and Binkie showed up to relieve us and I stood up to leave. Woody stood at a slower pace, and I had moved and Binkie was sitting down before Woody had stood. All the while, Woody's hand was doing who knew what to the controls. Hal sat down and Woody leaned down and said something to him. Hal nodded and took over the controls. Woody turned and looked right at me. I was a little nervous because it was like he was looking right inside to where everything was hiding. I quickly turned and shuffled out of the control room.

I hurried to the stairwell door and took the stairs down one flight to my apartment. I considered myself lucky to have an apartment next to Hector. I'd jerry-rigged a listening device so I could listen to what was going on in Hector's apartment. He was obviously the go-to man for anything in the electronics field, and he knew everything that was going on. By having this apartment and spying on Hector, I had my finger on the pulse of Rangeman. I smiled. Soon, I would be delivering Hector's and Micha's sisters, as well as Ranger's daughter Julie and Stephanie to Tex. If Stephanie thought she was in hell ten years ago, that was nothing to what Tex had become. I couldn't wait to watch what Tex and his brother would do to them. I would enjoy every minute of it.

**Hector's POV:**

I had my orders from Ranger, and I would soon be on the move. I stopped in my apartment to gather my things, and as I picked up my bag, I noticed something that gave me pause. My eyes narrowed and glittered with the anger I was suddenly feeling. Someone was spying on me. One corner of my mouth lifted in a half smile. I took the time to make a few changes and then smiled fully. I would know him when I saw him. I would not be forgiving. I turned and headed into the hallway and opened the stairwell door.

I needed to stop on the third floor to let Angel know I would be away for a while. When I knocked on the apartment door, Bree opened it. My eyes narrowed as I took in the look on her face. She was upset and trying not to show it.

She stepped back so I could enter the apartment, and I asked, "Estas bien pequeña?" (_Are you all right, little one?_)

Bree wrapped her arms around her waist and gave a slight shrug. "Tengo miedo. Creo que todos estamos en peligro." (_I'm scared. I think we are all in danger._)

I waved my hand to indicate the apartment. "Estas protegida aqui." (_You are protected here._)

Bree bit her lip, and I could see that she was uncomfortable. Finally, she said, "Hay un traidor en el edificio. Ahora mismo esta en las sombras pero siente la maldad. No puedo parar de pensar que va a actuar pronto." (_There's a traitor in the building. Right now, he's in shadow, but he feels evil. I can't help but think he plans to act soon._)

After what I'd found in my own apartment, I couldn't just write off her concerns. I held my hand out to her and said, "Dame tu telefono." (_Give me your phone._)

Bree frowned as she watched me and asked, "Que haces?" (_What are you doing?_)

I was concentrating on putting in the information I needed to into her phone so if she was in trouble, she would get me no matter what. Although I continued what I was doing, I glanced at her to say, "Ayudando a protegerte. Cuando estes en peligro presiona y aprieta el boton dos. Yo vendre por ti." (_Helping to protect you. When you are in trouble, push and hold the two button. I come for you._)

Bree nodded, but remained silent.

Suddenly, Angel walked into the room and asked, "Hector? Hay algo mal?" (_Hector? Is something wrong?_)

I met Angel's eyes and knew she would understand. "Tengo que cazar. Tu te vas a quedar aqui y te mantendras segura." (_I need to hunt. You will stay here and be safe._)

Angel looked worried. "Prometes que vas a volver?" (_You promise to come back?_)

I smiled and nodded. "Te lo prometo. Tan pronto caze." (_Promise. As soon as I hunt._)

I kissed Angel's cheek and waved to Bree before turning and leaving the apartment. I made my way from the building and went on the hunt. I smiled as I got the scent of my prey.

**Woody's POV:**

I stepped inside my apartment and set my keys on the counter. I stretched, trying to get all the kinks out of my body after an eight-hour shift on monitors. Although each of us had monitor duty at least once a week, it was the part of the job that most of us disliked the most. Paperwork ran a close second. The guy I'd been paired with this morning hadn't been working at Rangeman long…just since shortly before Rodriguez was shot going after a skip. As a matter of fact, he had been doing all the hire searches until then. But then he'd screwed up, big-time. A man he'd hired had been partnering with Rodriguez and didn't back him up. Then he'd taken off to save himself, which meant my current partner had done a shit job of weeding out a bad apple from the applications. Since Ranger hadn't been able to explain the error of his ways in the usual way, due to the man's bum leg, he'd been moved to monitor duty and one of us in the main team had to do the shift with him.

I headed for the bathroom, intending to take a shower. I needed to relax after the last eight hours, and hot water pouring over my naked body did it for me. I stripped as I walked through the apartment. As I stepped in the shower and turned on the water, I remembered what I'd heard Tank saying to Lester. He wanted him following Campbell, and I knew Lester… When he went out to trail someone, he changed his persona. I'd wanted to make sure he had every advantage, so I scrambled the feed so no one would see him once he left the fifth floor.

Once he'd left the building, it wasn't long before Ranger had sent Hector hunting. I knew we were heading for something. I didn't think any of us knew just what it was going to entail, though. My gut was telling me it had something to do with Ranger's daughter and the other females that had entered the building. Although I would do any job Ranger assigned me, I was hoping he didn't assign me to the females. For one thing, I don't do emotional women, and I'd already seen Stephanie when she and Hector got into it. Then there was Hector's sister… If I made her cry, there was the chance Hector would take me out before asking questions or listening to whatever excuse I could come up with. As for Ranger's daughter…well, we would all protect her, but if anyone caused her grief, they wouldn't live through the lesson Ranger taught, and if by some miracle they did, there would be Lester to answer to, and we all knew it. But even Micha's sister was an unknown. I turned off the water and dried off before heading into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. There was a casserole in there, and I placed it in the oven while I headed back to get dressed.

It didn't take me long to get dressed and eat my lunch. I'd just finished when I got a text from Ranger, telling me to meet Morelli. I lifted an eyebrow at the message: _Time to whitewash Trenton. _I smiled and knew what I was going to be doing for the majority of the afternoon. I finished dressing and headed out after sending Ranger a text that I was on my way.

**Ranger's POV:**

Once I'd warned Lester, there was something else I needed to act on. I told Stephanie I had some things I needed to do out and about and I would be back in an hour or two.

She gave me a look, as if she knew exactly what I was planning, and suggested, "Maybe we could go get Julie and I'll take her down to three until you get back."

I was relieved at her suggestion. I liked that Julie would be with her while I was gone. I knew she would be able to comfort my daughter no matter what came up. We headed down the one flight to Ella and Louis's apartment, and Julie ran into my arms. I picked her up and carried her as we headed for the elevator. Although I preferred to use the stairs, Stephanie was still recovering, and I knew the stairs would be harder on her. When the elevator stopped on three, I walked them to the apartment. After using my fob to unlock the door, we entered the apartment.

Bree was comforting Angel when we walked in, and I lifted an eyebrow in question. She grimaced. "Hector was here to let Angel know he would be out of the building for a while. I think he called it hunting."

I nodded and said, "Hector will be fine. He's the best at what he does."

Angel turned, and I was uncomfortable with the tears clearly visible on her face.

Stephanie stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, Angel. You'll be safe here with us."

Angel nodded, but said, "I can't help but worry. I've seen what Tex is capable of."

Stephanie nodded. "So have I. I think I have a way to make us all feel better." She turned to me. "Do you have a place we can do some defensive training?"

I narrowed my eyes as I thought about who was in building that I would trust Julie and Stephanie with. I nodded. "I'll have Micha come get you. There will be some other men with him, but they won't hurt you. They'll be there to make sure you aren't bothered."

Stephanie hesitated and then nodded. "They might come in handy if they can help with a little training."

I nodded. "They'll be there for whatever you need, Babe."

Stephanie placed her hand on my arm, and I stilled. I knew this was out of the norm for her, and I was just glad she was coming to feel comfortable touching me.

I turned to Julie and asked, "Be very good for Stephanie, and I will see you when I get back, okay?"

Julie nodded and hugged me. "Okay, Daddy. Hurry back, though."

"I will, baby."

I set Julie down and placed my hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "Do you have your phone, Babe?"

Stephanie handed me her phone, and I programmed a number into it before handing it back. "If you need anything, hit the two button and hold it down."

Bree grinned and said, "Hector did the same thing to my phone."

I raised an eyebrow and replied, "You should feel privileged. That's the first time Hector's done that."

Angel smiled and said, "My phone is programmed as well."

I shook my head and said, "Later, ladies. Micha will be here soon."

I headed out, and as I made my way down to the garage, I called Micha and gave him instructions on what Stephanie wanted. I then sent a message to Tank, putting him in charge of the girls. I finished the call and climbed into the Turbo. In no time, I was parking outside Pino's and heading inside. I carried in a box of supplies I had with me. I made my way through to where the men's room was located and noticed Joe Morelli leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

He straightened when he saw me. "I got your message, Manoso. So what the hell was so all-fired important I needed to rush down here?"

I handed the box in my arms to Morelli and nodded toward the door. "You have an appointment with the bathroom stall in there. Your apology to Stephanie the other day was a good start. Now you're going to back up your words with action. I have a couple guys that will be meeting you at all the other bathrooms all over Trenton where you trashed Stephanie's reputation fourteen years ago, and now you're going to wipe them clean."

Morelli lifted an eyebrow and asked, "And if I say no?"

I smiled and Morelli took a step back. Good. The fucker was scared. I could smell it in the air. I drilled him with a look and said, "I will pull all my support from Trenton. Rangeman will pack up and move to another city, and I'll set up a new base of operation."

"All because you have the hots for Stephanie?"

I moved toward him with a growl and said, "Because what you did fourteen years ago put Stephanie in harm's way. Tex saw what you wrote, and that's what made him decide to target Stephanie."

Morelli paled. "You're lying."

"You know me better than that, Morelli. If you meant anything of what you said to her when you killed Maglio, then you will do this. If not because you are sorry for the past, then for her."

Morelli stared at me for several seconds before he turned and walked into the bathroom. I followed him and watched as he scrubbed the words off that he'd written so many years before. When he was finished, he tossed the box back to me, and I quickly returned it to his arms.

"You're not done, not by a long shot. As I said, my men will meet you at the other establishments. Once _all_ the walls are clean, we can call it good. Not until then."

Morelli maneuvered the box in his arms and left the room. I let my gaze go to the freshly scrubbed wall and thought to myself, _I know it's too late to stop the past, Babe, but I promise no one else will see what was written by that ass and bring it up to you again—at least, they won't if they want to live._


	17. Death Waits in the Wings

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 17: Death Waits in the Wings

**Stephanie's POV:**

I rolled my eyes and tried to think of how I could get myself out of the situation I was currently in. Tank had me up in the air in a hold I had no hope of getting out of, and I was doing all I could not to panic and break down. Micha and I had worked on this for the past ten years, and I knew I was one of the best. Although I was a woman, I was capable of holding my own against most men. Of course, the men that worked for Ranger weren't your run-of-the-mill guys. Each was combat trained by the best of the best. I closed my eyes to help me concentrate and forced myself to relax. Tank adjusted his hold, loosening up a bit, and I smiled as I figured how I could get out of it. Without hesitation, I acted, and Tank went down like a felled tree with me on top of him. I followed up my action with another action that had him rolling around on the floor in excruciating pain, holding himself. I jumped up and moved back by Micha and the girls.

Suddenly, we were joined by Ranger, who stopped beside Tank and stood there motionless until the big guy looked up. I watched as Tank looked up into his face and grimaced. Ranger held out his hand, which Tank accepted to help him up from the floor. Once he was on his feet again, he turned to me and walked over to stop in front of me. I stiffened as he neared me, but tried not to show the fear I couldn't help but feel. Tank stopped in front of me with his arms folded across his chest and glared. I forced myself to meet his gaze and not back down.

He suddenly smiled and said, "You got guts, little girl. I don't know anyone else who would have gotten out of that hold. Hell, we have some guys working here that wouldn't have gotten out of that hold." Tank leaned toward me and whispered, "Of course, being guys, they wouldn't have done that last move."

I nodded. "When you are up against someone at least twice your size, you need every edge you can get."

Tank held out his hand to me. "Anytime you need to practice, I'll be glad to schedule one of the guys."

I grinned. "Let me guess… Would it be the one on your current shit list?"

Tank threw back his head and started laughing.

Angel gasped, and I turned to see if she was okay. She shook her head and said, "I thought he was going to kill you because of that last move. And how can you stay so calm?"

"I wasn't calm. I was freaking when I couldn't get free. But you have to work through the fear so you can get out of the hold. If you give into the fear, then you're lost and your attacker wins."

At that moment, we were joined by Bobby, and he looked none too happy. He glared at me and said, "I don't recall releasing you to do this kind of shit."

Ranger stepped forward, and I know he would have taken care of this, but it was something I had to do. I stepped forward slowly, as the pain was pretty bad by this point, and said, "Angel and Julie need reality. The bastards out there who prey on women aren't going to take it easy on us because we are hurting. Hell, some of them enjoy that part of it the most. They need to know that no matter how much pain we're in, we have to fight and we have to do everything we can to get free. I'm willing to go through a little pain to help them realize that."

Bobby went to say something else, but then he turned and looked at Julie. I saw the look in his eyes and knew what I'd said hit home. The look on his face told its own story, and I wondered who in his life had been hurt. Bobby turned back to me and softly asked, "How bad is the pain?"

I lifted a shoulder and replied, "It's not as bad as when I got thrown in the Cayenne, but it's a close second."

Bobby nodded. "Take two pills and I want you to relax for the rest of the day." He paused before adding, "As soon as you're finished here, of course."

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks. That I can do." I turned and asked, "So, who wants to go next?"

Julie looked up at Tank and her eyes widened.

Tank winked at her and said, "Don't you worry none, Julie. I'll hold you so you can't get out, but I won't hurt you. You want to give it a try?"

Julie nodded and went toward Tank. He lifted her gently in his arms and held her so she wouldn't be able to get free easily. Julie looked over at me, and I could see her mind going through everything I'd told and shown them. She took a deep breath and turned back to face Tank. She let her body sag, and although Tank was holding her tight, she nearly plummeted to the ground when she relaxed. By the time Tank got a grip on her, she was at crotch level, and Julie showed that she'd learned well through watching and she'd paid attention to everything I'd told them. Tank's eyes widened and he sucked in his breath when Julie kicked him. When he let go of her, she landed on the ground. She lay still for a moment and then scrambled up and ran over to me.

I wrapped my arms around her and leaned down to whisper, "You did great, Julie."

"I was scared, Stephanie. But I did just like you said."

"I'm so proud of you. You did great."

I glanced at Angel and noticed she was looking petrified. I whispered something to Julie and then went over and whispered something in Angel's ear. She looked at me and her eyes widened. I nodded, and she took a deep breath and gave a single nod. She stepped forward and stood in front of Tank.

The big guy shook his head and turned to me before saying, "Good thing you warned me what this would entail or I'd be in a lot more pain."

Tank took Angel in a hold similar to the ones he had placed Julie and me in. She struggled for several seconds, and he tightened his grip. Angel went still, and Tank relaxed his grip on her. Suddenly, Angel moved and managed to free herself. Tank stepped toward her and she kneed him in an already tender area and then hurried over beside us.

Tank gingerly stepped forward and took a deep breath. He nodded to Bree and said, "You ready?"

Bree bit her lip and said, "Nothing personal…but you're already hurting, and I don't want to hurt you any more."

The look on Tank's face was priceless. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at Bree. "I think I'm tough enough to handle whatever you throw my way."

Bree looked at Micha, and I glanced over to see he was grinning from ear to ear. I turned my gaze to Ranger and noticed he was watching with a half-smile on his face as well.

Bobby had a smirk on his face, and Tank turned to him with a glare before saying, "All right. Brown seems to think this is so funny, so why don't you tangle with him?"

Bree smiled and nodded. "I'd feel better about that."

Bree stepped forward and stopped in front of Bobby. Bobby went to grab her, but she put a hand up and turned to us. "Do I have to let him grab me and put me in a hold, or can I fight back from the beginning?"

Ranger's smile grew as he said, "You can fight back from the beginning. That will show that there are things you can do to prevent the person getting you into a hold as well."

Bree nodded and turned back to Bobby. I bit my lip, knowing what was going to come next, but stayed quiet because Ranger was right. This would be a good lesson for Julie and Angel. Bobby went to grab Bree, and she countered the move and danced away. For twenty minutes, we watched as Bobby tried to get Bree in a hold. He finally managed to get hold of her, but unfortunately for him, it was because she wanted him close enough. Then she moved and he was on the ground, rolling around in pain and muttering under his breath about making sure he wasn't near the gym the next time we were anywhere near.

Bree went over and knelt down beside him to say, "I'm sorry I hurt you. I tried not to hurt you too bad, but you moved the wrong way."

Bobby looked up at her and said, "Gee, if I'd known you wanted me to move the other way, I would've helped you out."

Bree laughed. "Can I help you up?"

Bobby glared at her. "No thanks. I'll just crawl to my office and pull myself up."

Bree reached out to Bobby, and I knew something was wrong. Her face paled and she swayed. Her eyes widened as she scrambled backwards quickly. Bobby frowned and quickly moved to see what was wrong, as did Micha.

Ranger reached her first, and I heard his softly whispered, "What's wrong, little one?"

Bree looked up at him and whispered, "Death waits in the wings."

Ranger's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Can you see who it is?"

Bree looked up into Ranger's face, and there was fear there in her eyes as she said, "Lester's in danger."

Ranger was up and out of the gym before anyone could move. I turned to Micha, and he was frowning even as he started us moving. Bobby and Tank were up as well, and they had us moving to the apartment on three.


	18. RIP Lester Santos

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 18: R.I.P. Lester Santos

**Lester's POV:**

I was sitting in a tree several yards from the house where Tex and Red were currently staying. From the reaction of the third guy, I knew this must have been the house where Stephanie had been held. I'd managed to plant listening devices, and I could hear what the bastards inside were planning. I had my blank face on and gave nothing away, but the men inside that house had signed their own death warrants when they started talking about what they had planned for Julie. If Ranger didn't kill Rachel's husband, then I knew I was making another trip to Germany to take the bastard out. I knew his telling Rachel it was inevitable and to sign the papers was too good. He knew I was bringing her back here into the monster's own backyard.

I suddenly had a feeling, as if I was being watched, and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I knew I was in trouble. I took a look around, but didn't see from which direction the danger was coming from. Suddenly, everything went dark and I felt myself falling.

**Red's POV:**

There was a pounding on the door, and I glanced over to Tex. He had the oily smile on his face that gave me the creeps. I had one reason for joining forces with this bastard, and that was to get that murdering bitch back for killing my cousin Lenny. I couldn't wait to see her face when she was delivered into the hands of the man who had held her captive. I didn't like what they were planning with the other three girls, but I wasn't dumb enough to say anything. Tex would have no compunction about ending my life, and I had no intention of letting that happen.

Besides, I also had a beef with Ranger for firing me, and seeing his face when he learned what had happened to his daughter would be worth it. Tex stood and walked to the door. He looked out before opening the door to another man I'd never seen before. The man was carrying Lester Santos in a fireman's carry, and when the door was opened, he dropped him on the floor. By the way Santos rolled, I knew he was dead.

Tex laughed and turned to me. "And you were worried. I told you… No one will get to me this time. I have no intention of going back to prison."

I motioned toward Santos. "We have to get him out of here. He might have a tracking device on him."

Tex laughed. "Since you're so scared, you do it. I'm going hunting with my friend here. I owe him a nice young one…" Tex smiled. "Timmy already has dibs on Manoso's daughter, but I think I'll give you the girl that's always with the Plum bitch as a reward."

I watched as the man who'd dumped Lester smiled and his eyes gleamed. The two men left, and I worked at getting Lester up and carrying him to the truck I was driving. I headed for the river and struggled to dump Lester into the water. I waited until he sank to the bottom, and then I got in my truck and put as much distance between the body and myself as I could.

**Ranger's POV:**

The minute Bree told me death waits in the wings and Lester was in danger, I knew I had to get to him fast or it would be too late. I ran from the gym down to the garage and got into the Turbo, and in no time, I was rocketing toward Lester's destination. We had trackers on him so that only Hector and I would know where he was. I pointed my car in the direction I had for him, and when I pulled up at the bank of the river outside Trenton, Hector was already there working on Lester. When I walked up to him, he shook his head, and I knew it was too late. My eyes narrowed as I looked around and spotted the tire impressions in the ground. I pointed them out to Hector, who nodded. I lifted Lester over my shoulder, carried him over to the Turbo, and set him in the passenger seat before going around and getting in the driver's seat. I drove back to Rangeman, and on the way, I called Manny and told him I had Lester's body.

When I pulled into the Rangeman garage, Manny was there, but so were Tank and Bobby. I got out and walked around to open the door to let Manny in to get Lester. The elevator doors opened, and I clenched my jaw as I watched the man I considered responsible for Rodriguez getting shot and hiring Rod. I had my suspicions about him, and until I knew differently, the main team was under orders not to trust him. He shuffled from the elevator toward where we were, and I saw his eyes darting all over to see who all was down here.

"Is that Santos? What happened?"

I narrowed my eyes and replied, "Apparently, Tex found out Lester was following him and took Lester out."

Although he tried to hide it, I caught the smirk on his face. My hands clenched at my sides, and I turned to Manny. "Get what evidence you can and then put the body in one of the storage units until we can make funeral arrangements."

Manny nodded, and I headed toward the stairwell door. I was pissed as I headed to the third floor. Julie was going to be devastated at the news I had to give her, but there was no way I could keep it from her. I just hoped she wouldn't blame me for the hurt she was going to feel, and I hoped that she would forgive me someday. I headed to the apartment, where I knew I would find Julie and Babe, and knocked on the door.

Bree opened the door, and one look at her eyes and I knew she had been crying. I was puzzled why she would be so affected by what happened to Lester, since she barely knew him. She stood there looking at me for several seconds before her head came up and she stepped back. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to walk out of the room.

A few seconds later, Stephanie came from the kitchen, and she didn't stop until she was in my arms. "I'm sorry, Ranger."

I held her close and closed my eyes as I rested my chin on the top of her head. I breathed in her scent and just stayed as we were without saying anything. A couple of seconds later, Julie came running in from the kitchen and threw herself at my legs. I lifted her in my arms before once again pulling Stephanie into a hug. Julie whispered something in my ear, and my gaze went to Bree, who had just rejoined us. Our eyes met and I could see the truth that she knew about Lester. I nodded to Julie and whispered back to her. She shook her head and then lay her head on my shoulder with her face hidden in my neck.

I nodded to Bree and said, "If you need anything, give me a call."

Bree nodded and our gazes locked for several seconds before I turned away with Stephanie and Julie and we made our way to the elevator. As soon as we left the apartment, sobs racked Julie's small form, and she didn't stop until we entered the penthouse apartment on seven.

**Unknown POV:**

I heard that Ranger was bringing Lester's body back to Rangeman, and I couldn't help the gleeful smile that graced my face. Tex was going to reward me for the service I'd given him when I warned him that Lester Santos was following him. Now I had to make sure Lester was truly dead and this wasn't all just an elaborate hoax. I took the elevator down to the garage and figured if I was questioned, I would use the excuse that I was just on my way out. I couldn't believe my luck when no one questioned me.

I got a glimpse of Santos as Manny took him out of the car, and I couldn't help the smirk that the great Lester Santos had been fish food, even though he had been fished out of the river and brought here. I was satisfied he was truly dead and was ready to head out to make it look like that was my reason for coming down here in the first place, when Manny asked me to take hold of one of Lester's legs. I helped them get him out of the car and onto the cart they were going to take him to the basement with. If I'd had any doubt, what I saw when the pant leg went up and I got a look at his leg would have been proof positive. There for all to see was the bullet wound Lester had gotten five months ago when he'd saved Rodriguez's life. I had to bite my lip so I didn't start laughing at the fact that Lester was dead and the next time I set up Rodriguez, he wouldn't be around to save the day.

I watched as Manny pushed the cart to the elevator and stepped inside with the cart and Santos's dead body, and I waited until the door closed and the rest of the guys took the stairs back up to the fifth floor. Then, and only then, did I let the smile I was holding back loose. I turned, and as I walked to my car I made a call. I slid into my car and shut the door. When the phone was answered, I said, "Lester Santos will no longer be a problem. He just came back to Rangeman dead."


	19. Visitation Gone Awry

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 19: Visitation Gone Awry

**Stephanie's POV:**

It had been three days since Ranger had brought Lester's body back to Rangeman. The mood in the building was extremely somber, as all the guys were reacting in their own way. Ranger, Tank, and Bobby seemed to be taking things the worst. Everyone had gotten into a routine of sorts. Hector was still away hunting, although I had no clue what he was hunting for. Ranger did his usual workout, and then after eating breakfast with Julie and me, he headed down to his office to do some work. He would come back up for lunch. In the afternoons, we would drop Julie off with Ella or Bree, and I would do some searches on the fifth floor. The searches that I finished went directly to Ranger. There was quite a stack by now.

Whenever we took Julie out of the apartment, Ranger carried her and she hid her face in his neck. Although she was comfortable with Grandma, Bree, Angel, and Ella, if anyone else came up to her, she broke down in sobs. Today was going to be especially hard on everyone, as today was the day we buried Lester. We would be going to the funeral home soon. At the moment, we were all moping around, dreading what was to come. Ranger had called Lester's parents and told them about his death and the arrangements for the funeral. They'd agreed that everything should take place in Trenton. They would be meeting us, along with Ranger's parents, at the funeral home.

I stood at the doorway to the den and watched Ranger sitting there with Julie. We were all dressed in black, and our hearts were heavy. Walking forward, I placed my hand on Ranger's shoulder and then leaned forward and said, "It's time to go."

Ranger looked up and took hold of my forearm, holding it to his cheek. "All right, Babe. I guess we should go."

Ranger stood and reached down so Julie could place her hand in his. Her eyes teared up, and I felt mine tearing up as well as I watched her.

Julie looked up at Ranger and said, "Daddy, I don't know if I can do this."

Ranger lifted Julie in his arms and said, "Just put your head on my shoulder, baby. We'll get through this."

Julie did as Ranger suggested, and Ranger wrapped his free arm around my shoulders. We headed for the elevator and rode it down to the garage. There were several black SUVs all ready to get moving. In the first one were Junior, Binkie, Manny, and Erik. The second SUV had Tank, Bobby, Grandma, Angel, and Bree. The third SUV would have Woody and Hal with Ranger, Julie and me, and in the final SUV, there would be Cal, Vince, Ram, Brett and Bones. We got into the vehicles, and in seconds, we were on our way.

When we reached the funeral home, the SUV that carried Grandma and the girls pulled up to the door, and Tank went in with them as Bobby parked the vehicle. Then we pulled up, and Ranger and I got out with Julie as Hal parked the vehicle and Woody went in with us, acting as bodyguard for Julie and me. Once inside, I heard a gasp and looked around for Grandma. I was relieved to see her standing beside Bree. We made our way over beside them and went together into the slumber room, where they were having Lester's viewing. When we passed the owner of the funeral home, he nearly fainted on seeing Grandma. She moved her dentures around and winked at him as we passed. Apparently, I wasn't the only one that noticed the exchange, because I could see the guys' shoulders shake at the man's reaction. Ranger led us over to where his family was sitting, and we expressed our sympathy.

Everything was going well until Micha walked in with one of the other employees I hadn't met. My spidey senses went on heightened alert as I watched the man beside Micha. He gave me the creeps, and I looked over to Bree and saw she had an unfocused look in her eyes, as she seemed to look right through the man.

The two headed our way, and Micha bent down and kissed my cheek as he whispered, "The gangs all here," and then he stood.

I smiled. I'm glad you could make it."

I was getting ready to say something else, when there was murmuring and the sounds of something going on. I turned to see Grandma up at the closed coffin, and she seemed to stumble on the floor rug and fell on the coffin. There was a clicking noise, and when Grandma pulled herself up, the coffin lid came up and we were all sitting there staring at Lester Santos's dead body. Lester's parents gasped and his mother started to cry as his father comforted her. Other family members were mumbling angrily, and as I watched the commotion, I glanced over at the man with Micha and noticed the look of satisfaction on his face. He turned and gave a slight nod to a man that was just entering the room—a man that should have protected me and believed me ten years ago, but instead, he'd worked things so I wouldn't be believed and the monster that had hurt me went free.

My hands clenched, and Ranger reached over and took hold of my hand. I turned and bit my lip as I met his gaze.

He winked at me and whispered, "It will all come right in the end, Babe."

Julie froze between us and whimpered.

I looked down and asked, "What's wrong?"

She looked frozen with terror as she whispered, "That's the man. The one who said I was going to be his when he came back."

I leaned down till I was blocking her from the man and whispered, "We will protect you."

There were tears in her eyes as she looked at us. "He said when he was done, he would sell me someplace far away."

There was a growl, and I knew without looking that Ranger was beyond pissed. I put a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes as I said, "When the time is right, your daddy will take care of him. Okay?"

Julie started sobbing, and Ranger gathered her in his arms and stood. He reached out his hand for me, and I joined them.

When I got close enough to the scum-sucking bastard, he reached out toward me and I flinched. Suddenly, he was on the floor, writhing in pain and screaming he was going to see me rot in jail for that.

My eyes opened wide as I realized that I'd acted without thinking.

I heard the man on the floor telling someone to arrest me, and then my cousin Eddie said, "No! You know her past, and it's your own fault for trying to touch her. Now get out of here and go home."

He stood and glared at Eddie, but Eddie didn't back down.

"You wait, Gazzara. One of these days, you'll be regretting siding with _her_."

Eddie stepped into him and said, "Anytime you want to bring it, come ahead."

The man stood and hobbled out of the funeral home.

I turned to Eddie and felt a tear slide down my cheek as I whispered, "Thanks, Eddie."

Eddie shook his head. "No need to thank me. You're family. Even if you weren't, you've always been my friend and I don't bail on friends." Eddie turned to Ranger. "I heard what you did. I appreciate that, man. I just wanted you to know that I have your back."

Eddie and Ranger shook hands, and I wondered what they were talking about.

Ranger spoke softly. "It was past time."

Eddie nodded and grinned. "That it was."

We headed for the exit, and I asked, "Will your family mind that we leave?"

"No, Babe. They know Julie needs to be my first priority."

The SUV pulled up with Hal driving, and Woody and Ranger saw us into the vehicle. When I was seated, I saw that Grandma and the girls were getting ready to go in the next SUV. I relaxed and leaned against Ranger's shoulder as we headed back to the Rangeman building. As we pulled into the garage, I felt an exhaustion I hadn't felt since before I'd left Trenton ten years ago. I knew we were headed for difficult times. I just hoped I was physically ready for them. We rode the elevator up to the seventh floor, and Ranger settled us on the sofa in the den so we could all sit together and take comfort from each other.

**Unknown POV:**

I saw them all at the funeral home. I knew it was going to be soon. I'd already suggested how I would do it to Tex, and I was just waiting for him to give me the go-ahead. Once I got the females to Tex, I had plans to return to Rangeman and take care of Rodriguez before going back and joining Tex. I'd intended for Rodriguez to know the reason behind all my actions before I killed him. Once Rodriguez was dead, I was going to set the torch so the whole building would go up in flames and Manoso's world would come crashing down. As I watched them lower Santos into the ground, I smiled to myself. Revenge was a dish best served cold.


	20. Fire In The Hole

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 20: Fire In The Hole

**Stephanie's POV:**

It has been two weeks since Lester's funeral, and the tone around Rangeman is somber at best. On top of that, when reading the morning paper, I'd learned that Joe Morelli's eight-year-old daughter had been abducted on her way home from school the day before. When I saw that, I was filled with such rage that I crumpled the paper and threw it away from me. Ranger must have known what was in the paper because he just placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I was thinking. To answer him, I nodded. His eyes flicked to Julie, and I knew what he was thinking. If I could leave her out of it, I would. Unfortunately, I didn't think those involved would cooperate.

When Ranger was ready to head to his office, I smiled at Julie. "We're going down to three this morning, okay?"

She looked and me with that serious expression she got sometimes and nodded.

Ranger rode down in the elevator with us, and after he got off on the fifth floor, we continued on to the third.

I knocked on the door, and Bree had it opened before I could finish knocking. From the look on her face, I knew she was aware of what was going to be happening. We spent most of the morning baking and doing odds and ends. Ranger and Micha joined us for lunch, and the tone in the apartment was somber. There was so much that could go wrong, but we had to act now. I just prayed that everything went as planned and we didn't pay too high a price for this decision. We were nearly done when the call came in for Ranger that would take him away from the building. Micha headed up to the control room, as he was on monitor duty with one of the guys that had been working for Rangeman a bit longer than Micha himself had been here. Until today, the man he was on duty with had been partnered with one of Ranger's main team. Woody was supposed to be on monitor duty, but Micha would put it off as being a snafu in assignments and comment about covering the brass's ass.

Micha hugged Bree before leaving and whispered something in her ear. She nodded, and I saw the look of banked fear in her eyes. It would be hardest for her if this went wrong. I lifted my chin and turned to see Ranger hugging Julie and whispering something in her ear. He set her down, and she stood there with a stoic look on her face.

Ranger wrapped his arms around me and whispered something in my ear. "Go get 'em, tiger."

I nodded and he held me tighter for a moment before releasing me.

After the guys left, we went and got ourselves ready.

We'd just finished going over the various holds and what we should do in certain situations, when Bree froze momentarily. Then she whipped her head around, and there was something close to panic in her eyes as she said, "Stephanie, you need to send Grandma to warn Tank. The building's been rigged with explosives. As soon as we've cleared the building, they're going to set them off. There are two traitors—the one with Micha and the one coming down here. As soon as the one on monitors gets a call, he's going to leave and set off the explosives."

Bree quickly read Grandma in on what we needed her to do, and then we had to find a way for her to get up to Tank. I pulled out my phone and sent Micha a text.

A few seconds later, I got a message,

_Send her in 3 minutes. I got it covered here._

Exactly three minutes later, Grandma took her purse and hurried to the elevator. She'd no more than gotten inside and started up to five when there was a knock on the door. I looked out the peephole and paled. I knew the man on the other side wasn't someone we could trust, so I moved away from the door. We went into the bedroom to make it harder for him to find us, and within seconds, the sound of wood splintering could be heard. Although we were hidden and I took great pains to make it harder for him to find Julie and the girls, it took him less than a few minutes to find us.

He warned, "If you give me any trouble, I'll start with the youngest and work my way up." When he aimed the gun at Julie, I knew he was serious.

We followed his directions as we made our way into the hall and toward the elevator. He barked out for us to go to the stairwell door, so we headed down to the garage. There was a late model station wagon parked in the garage, and he had us get inside. He forced me into the driver's seat and gave me instructions as to the route we needed to take. I did the best I could to pick up a tail.

He laughed before smirking. "You're wasting your time. Timmy made sure we wouldn't be followed by any cops. He's keeping them busy with a false lead on Morelli's daughter."

We skirted Trenton, and once we were headed for the Pine Barrens, I had a sinking idea of just where he was taking us. I sent up a silent prayer that I would be able to do what was needed to protect the girls and that I wouldn't be frozen with fear at being back in that hellhole. When we made the final turn, I wanted to stop and throw up, but I forced myself to continue on, and within minutes, I pulled up beside the house that was the center of my worst nightmares.

The man in the back seat smiled and ordered us out of the car. We got out and I pulled Julie closer, hoping to protect her from what she was about to see. We were ordered to go to the house, so we slowly moved forward. I could see the fear in Angel's eyes and the resignation in Bree's. I promised myself I would do anything I could to protect them as we entered hell.

**Tank's POV:**

I was sitting in my office, trudging through paperwork and waiting for the trap to spring, when Micha texted me that Stephanie's grandma was on her way to the fifth floor and it was vital I meet her at the elevator. I stood and made my way there. When it opened, I saw the look of fear on the elderly woman's face as I stepped into the elevator.

As soon as we had privacy, she turned to me and said, "I didn't want to leave them, but Bree said I had to. She said to tell you the one man has them out of the building by now and the other man will be making excuses and leaving his post. They have the building wired to explode. As soon as he gets far enough away, he'll push the button and blow the building up."

Two things hit me at once. One, Stephanie and the others had already been taken, and two, if I didn't act fast, there would be no one around to save them. I nodded and opened the elevator door in time to see the twerp on monitor duty with Micha go through the stairwell door.

I lost no time in bellowing, "Fire in the hole! Move your asses_ now_!"

Every man present stood, and we double-timed it down to the garage. I hit three on my phone, and when Louis answered, I repeated what I'd just said and was rewarded with a dial tone. I noticed the other guys were following protocol and calling those they were assigned to call when just such a comment was made on the control room floor. We reached the garage, and since we didn't know if the vehicles were wired, we headed out to the street. Every man had his weapon out and was alert for danger.

I saw the traitor reach what would be considered a safe distance, and suddenly, there was a loud boom behind me. I turned to see explosions going off in the building. A quick scan of the area around me, and I knew we had all occupants accounted for except for Stephanie and the girls. I turned to the men and told them what had happened and that the girls were now in the hands of the enemy.

There were growls, and the fierce looks on the faces of the men in front of me told me there would be no stopping the lions when the word came down to set them free.

Just then, my phone rang and I answered, knowing who was on the other end.

When I told Ranger what happened, he said, "Release the hounds of hell."


	21. A Call For Help

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 21: A Call For Help

**Unknown POV: **

I watched as the unmarked car pulled up to the house and the man climbed out and went to the back door and opened it. He reached in and pulled out a young girl of about eight or nine. She had wavy brown hair and was a beauty. She put me in mind of the cop, Morelli. My fist clenched as I watched the monster look at the girl with an eager gleam in his eyes. As I watched, the man half dragged and half marched the girl toward the house. Although she looked scared to death, she wasn't making it easy for the bastard. When they reached the house, he opened the door and forced the girl inside. I closed my eyes momentarily and wanted to act now, but I knew we had a plan and it was important I follow it. I promised myself that this man wouldn't live to see another day once I _could_ act, though. I intended to keep that promise.

I forced myself to look again, and I watched as the man forced the girl to the bedroom. When he followed her in there and I heard the lock engage, I wanted to throw up. The monster inside demanded I act, and I promised it that soon, I would let him loose and not rein him in until he was satisfied. I heard the scream, and it was all I could do to stand where I was.

Tex, who was sitting at the table and who until now had been ignoring the newcomers, smirked and looked up. His eyes moved to meet mine, and I had to put my blank face in place as he chuckled and said, "I guess the cop is just destined to provide me with entertainment. First his whore, and now his daughter."

I remained motionless, with no emotion showing, and Tex threw back his head and started laughing.

All of a sudden, there was a masculine howl from behind the locked door and the man I was going to kill came stumbling out. I caught a glimpse of the girl huddled on the mattress on the floor. Her mouth was bleeding, and it was obvious she'd been hit more than once. Although she looked scared to death, there was a defiant look on her face and her chin was up in the air. She reminded me of someone else, but I couldn't place just who it was at the moment.

The door was slammed shut and the dead man walking screamed, "When I come back, you little bitch, you are going to be sorry you did that."

I heard the faint sounds of crying, and the monster strained for release.

Dead man turned to Tex and said, "I trust you can make her easier to deal with?"

Tex grinned and replied, "I'll enjoy every minute."

I clenched my teeth and was struggling to keep my cover, when there was a knock on the door and Red walked in.

He looked around and glared at the man I would kill. "You are an ass! There are cops all over looking for Morelli's daughter. You're going to ruin everything!"

Dead man sneered. "I know what I'm doing. You want Plum and the other three, then this is the way it has to go. I'll get them off looking in the opposite damn direction, and then we'll have an open window in which to do whatever we want to these bitches before we hand them over to the buyers." He turned to Tex. "You do have a buyer all set up, don't you?"

Tex nodded. "Yes. He'll be here tomorrow to view the merchandise. He's willing to buy them all."

I could see the greed in the men's eyes as they contemplated the money they would get for the females.

Dead man motioned toward the closed door and said, "Get her ready. I want to show Manoso's daughter what's in store for her with that one. I plan to make it as frightening for her as I can."

Red shook his head and said, "I can't stand Manoso either, but what did he ever do to you?"

Dead man glared at Red and replied, "Manoso, Rodriguez, Santos, Tank, and Brown were part of an assault team that took out our training camp. We had nearly fifty young girls between eight and twenty-five that we were training to sell, much like what Tex has here. They took out most of the guys, but two of them got out. Fortunately, Manoso and the others never saw what the two survivors looked like. That's how they were able to get hired at Rangeman. Rodriguez was lucky, or he would already be a casualty. Thanks to our friend here, Santos is dead and we only have the others to deal with. Once the building goes up tomorrow, we might get lucky and not have to worry about them anymore."

Dead man turned and headed for the door. Before leaving, he turned back and said, "I'll be back tomorrow once the others get here. Make sure you have that one ready for me."

There was the sound of a gun going off, and dead man flinched and demanded, "What the hell?" Dead man looked to the wall beside the door where the bullet had gone in.

Tex snarled, "Don't tell me what to do. I said she'd be ready, so let it go at that."

Red looked around, as if he was looking for a way out. Too bad, buddy. You got in bed with the devil and you are going to die for it. But I remained silent and watched. Dead man left, and Tex and Red headed to bed. I was ordered to watch so the girl didn't get free. That I would do. It would be dangerous for her out in the Pine Barrens on her own. Red relieved me early, and I headed out to get some needed rest before all hell broke loose later. I had jerry-rigged the door so it wouldn't be easy for Tex to get into the bedroom. I hoped it was enough to keep him away from the girl. I wanted to do more, but at the moment, my hands were tied.

When I woke, I had a feeling I often got on a mission when the action was getting ready to start. My phone rang, and after a short conversation, I ended the call and replaced the phone before I made my way back to the house and knocked. Red opened the door and stepped back so I could enter. I noticed the door was still closed and Tex was sitting at the table. He was eating a piece of very rare steak, letting the blood and juices drip from his mouth as he chewed. My eyes narrowed as I took up my post.

Red went over to the bedroom door and reached to open it.

Tex laughed and said, "Don't bother. He'll have to tame that one himself. I think I'll enjoy watching him use the girl to scare Manoso's daughter."

My fist clenched, and I had to force myself not to give myself away.

When the sudden sound of a car approaching could be heard, Red went to the window and said in an excited voice, "They're here."

Tex didn't acknowledge his comment, continuing to eat. When the door opened and I saw the four being forced inside the house with the gun pointed at them, it was all I could do not to move into action as I recognized the man with the girls. Once they were all inside, the door clicked shut and Tex stood and turned.

His eyes went to Stephanie, and there was a gleam in them I hadn't seen before. "So we meet again. This time, I will break you, whore. I will break you and then I will sell you so that your nightmare can continue."

Stephanie raised her chin in the air, and there was a look in her eyes that I recognized.

There was the sound of another car, and Red went to the window and peered out. He turned back and said, "The others are here. It's time to get started. We'll have two hours before the buyer will be here."

Red opened the door, and I recognized the other traitor that entered with the dead man. It looked like all the players were here. I saw Bree, Stephanie, and the other young woman reach into their pockets, and there was a vibration from my phone. I bit the inside of my cheek in order not to let the smile loose. I knew what they had done, and I knew we would soon have the hounds of hell joining us.


	22. Dead Men

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 22: Dead Men

**Stephanie's POV:**

When I pulled up in front of the house of my nightmares, I prayed for the strength to see me through what was to come. I was determined to protect the others, and as we got out and made our way to the house, I kept Julie as close to me as possible. I knew I could take this asshole out, and I wanted so badly to do that and get back in the car and run with the girls. But that wouldn't accomplish anything but delay the inevitable. As long as Tex was out there, he was a danger. We entered the house, and my worst nightmare stood and turned to face us. Within minutes, we were joined by the two others. I knew all the players were in sight, so I reached into my pocket and pressed the number two button on my phone, holding it down for a moment.

Looking around at all the men gathered in the room, and aside from all the players I knew, there was a tall, muscled, man with more hair than was attractive—sort of Sasquatch meets hunk. He was standing with his arms folded across his chest, watching. I gave him only a brief look before letting my eyes move on to the others.

My gaze narrowed on the one man who should have believed me and helped me ten years ago. He'd taken an oath, and by not following up on what I'd told him, he'd fallen down in his duty to serve and protect. He turned to me and smiled. "Well, well, well. So here we are again. And there's no one here to protect you like at the funeral home. I trust Tex will make you pay for that."

I schooled my face to not show any emotion and replied, "You won't live to see it, _Timmy_."

He scowled and stepped toward me with a raised hand.

Tex snarled, "No! She's mine to break."

Timmy turned to the other man and, with a disgusted look on his face, asked, "What is it about her that has you salivating?"

Tex smiled. "She was Morelli's whore. That's reason enough."

I stilled at his words, knowing this was a vital piece of information. Since _Timmy_ didn't seem to want to delve any deeper, I turned to Tex and asked, "Why are you so bent on getting back at Morelli?"

Tex's face turned red with anger as he snarled, "He took Terry away from me. She would've brought me a King's ransom because she's blonde and because her uncle is Vito Grizzoli and his enemies were willing to pay well once she was broken. But Morelli got to her and she lost interest in me."

Tex moved over to the door that I knew led to the bedroom and then sent a look my way as he said, "Get inside the room and stay quiet till I'm ready for you."

I made sure the girls got into the room before I went in, and when the door was locked, closing us inside, it took a few moments for our eyes to adjust. When they did, I saw the small child curled on the bed on the floor, and my heart jumped into my throat. I had Bree take Julie, and I went forward to see if I could help the child.

I sat down near her and said, "Hi. My name's Stephanie. What's your name?"

She looked up at me, and I could see the tracks her tears made on her cheeks. She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and said, "Bella Morelli."

I bit my lip and felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes. "Did they hurt you?"

"The one that works with my daddy came in here last night and tried to make me touch that thing in his pants. I grabbed it and twisted it as hard as I could. He hit me a few times till I let go."

I nodded. "Good for you. Don't worry. There are people coming to help us."

Before we could do anything else, the door was yanked open and Tex roared, "Get out here, whores!"

I flicked my gaze toward Bree and she nodded, letting me know she was ready as well. I stood up and walked toward Tex. I smiled mockingly at Tex and replied, "Poor baby. The rejection was just too much, was it?"

Tex roared with rage and came at me. I was ready, and when he latched onto my ponytail and jerked my head to cause me maximum pain, I used my knee to introduce his gonads to his throat. He bent over in pain and writhed around, snarling like an injured animal. Things happened all at once, and I closed bedroom door so the girls would be more protected as the front and rear doors opened. The big hairy thing watching us went into motion and grabbed Timmy by the throat, making his eyes bulge as his windpipe was cut off from needed oxygen.

I felt Tex's hand digging painfully into my shoulder, and I turned to face the monster from my past. There was a look in his eyes that I knew meant he'd left sanity behind. He smiled and brought his raised hand down toward my head. Before he could connect, Ranger was there and smashed his fist into Tex's face, forcing him back a good three feet with the power of his blow.

I didn't know where to look as Micha took on the man I recognized as being with him at the funeral home. The smaller man tried to put up a fight, but didn't stand a chance against Micha, even though he hadn't completely healed from his injuries. I could tell Hector wasn't happy that Micha got to the man first, but he seemed resigned to it and instead went after the man that had forced us in the car and to come here. Watching Hector go after the man was like watching a pack of dogs tear apart their prey to feed. I was breathing hard, even though I hadn't really done anything to cause me to be winded.

I heard a fist hitting flesh and turned to see Tank plowing his fist repeatedly into Red. Already, Red looked as if there wasn't a place on him that Tank's fist hadn't connected. When Tank's fist connected with Red's midsection again, Red's face turned purple as all the air was forced from his body and he slumped. Tank paid no attention to the fact that Red was now limp in his hold, but continued to meet out punishment.

I turned to see the man who'd been in the room when we arrived throwing punch after punch at _Timmy_. Gaspick was on the losing end of being a punching bag, and then suddenly, he grabbed hold of the other man's massive hair and yanked. He looked on in horror as the hair and man hitting him parted company, and I heard him gasp and cry out, "_No_! You're dead!"

Lester Santos smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile as he growled and said, "That's right. A dead man is going to kill you, and there won't be anyone to save you."

Gaspick tried to get away, but Lester wasn't done with punishing him. Punch after punch landed on Gaspick as Lester ranted that he would pay for all the little girls he'd hurt and he would pay for what he'd planned to do to his little cousin. Lester was a man driven, and I clenched my hands into fists so I didn't go over and help him destroy the bastard. My gaze went to Ranger, who was baiting Tex and getting him to make clumsy moves so he could strike him down and ram his fists into every part of Tex's body. Although the fight was over long before the guys left them to lay on the ground where they had fallen, when the guys stepped back, Vince stepped into the room and let us know the cops were on their way.

I saw Tex move and realized there was a gun in his hand. I moved quickly and kicked it out of Tex's hand, and then I brought the heel of my five-inch FMPs down as hard as I could on Tex's hand. He screamed in pain, and I put my whole weight in pressing my heel harder into his hand.

Ranger turned at the commotion and smiled. Suddenly, there was the smell of urine, and I looked down to see that Tex had wet his pants. Ranger lifted me and set me to the side and continued to engage the enemy. This time when he stopped, the odd angle of Tex's neck led me to believe he was no longer breathing. I looked over at the other men on the floor and noticed that Gaspick was in an even more awkward position. At a guess, I would say he didn't make it out breathing either.

I shivered and Ranger came and wrapped his arms around me. He whispered, "It's okay, Babe. He'll never hurt anyone ever again."

I looked up at Ranger, and there were tears in my eyes as I asked, "Does it make me a bad person that I'm glad he's dead?"

Ranger pulled me closer and said, "No, Babe. It just makes you human."

The door opened, and my cousin Eddie was the first police officer through. He looked around grimly and then nodded. He was followed by Carl Costanza, Big Dog, Morelli, Robyn Russell, and the chief of police, as well as the medical examiner. The medical examiner went to the bodies on the floor, and after checking each one, he shook his head to indicate there was no need for an ambulance because they were, in fact, dead.

The chief looked as if he was building up to say something, and Ranger stepped forward and warned, "I suggest you not say what you are planning to say until you know the situation."

The chief indicated Gaspick and said, "One of my officers is dead."

Lester glared at the chief and stepped forward with a growl. "Your officer kidnapped a little girl and planned to do horrible things to her."

I saw Morelli pale as he asked, "Bella?"

Lester turned to him with a tormented look on his face and asked, "Is that your daughter's name?"

Morelli nodded.

Lester sighed. "She's in the bedroom over there and doesn't seem to be too hurt. Gaspick took her in there and locked the door. She cried out, and then he was screaming in pain, and when he came out, she had blood and bruises on her face." Lester stepped over to Morelli and said, "I'd appreciate it if you could hit me a few times for not stopping it. Man, I've never felt so sick in my life, knowing I had to let that bastard anywhere near her to keep my cover."

Morelli had a fierce look, and for a minute, I thought he was going to give Lester his wish, but then he took a deep breath and shook his head. "No. I think you suffered enough in having to allow things to happen." Morelli drilled Lester with a look. "Just tell me you got the bastard."

Lester smiled and motioned to Gaspick.

Joe turned and looked down at the unrecognizable face of Timothy Gaspick before turning back to Lester and saying, "I'll call it even."

The sound of a door opening had all of us turning to the bedroom door, where Bree and the others were. She stood in the doorway, white as a sheet. Her hands were unsteady as she moved them to wrap around herself. Robyn moved toward her and Bree flinched. Her gaze went to Lester, and the look on her face was haunting.

Without a word, Lester moved toward her and softly asked, "What do you need?"

Bree bit her lip and met his gaze. "I need you. You're silent. I can't read you."

Lester wrapped his arms around her and led her outside.

I glanced at Micha and saw the torment on his face, as we both knew that she would have the hardest time of everyone because of her abilities.

Before we could say any more, Angel, Julie, and Bella came from the bedroom.

When Bella saw her father, she yelled, "Daddy!" and went flying to Morelli. He lifted her in his arms and hugged her tight.

Ranger took the two steps to reach Julie and swept her up in his arms before coming over and wrapping an arm around me. Hector walked over to Angel, and she wrapped her arms around him and broke down crying. Micha was watching out the window to where Lester had gone with Bree. I watched as he made his way out to where they were and he laid a hand on Bree's shoulder. She broke down sobbing, and Micha took her in his arms for several minutes before kissing her forehead and leaving her with Lester.

Eventually, we'd all given our statements and the bodies had been transported to the city morgue with the medical examiner.

We were all heading out and getting ready to leave, when the chief shook his head and said, "One thing I don't understand. Gaspick requested time off to go to Santos's funeral. What with Mrs. Mazur's shenanigans and all, everyone in Trenton saw his dead body."

Lester grinned. "We have Eddie to thank for that. He found us a body that fit my general description and arranged delivery so Manny could add what was needed to make sure he passed recognition. When Bree warned Ranger I was in danger, he hauled the body out here and pulled me down out of the tree so I could change into my disguise and take the body into the enemy's camp, so to speak. My 'killing' the man watching them was my in to the group."

The chief smiled and shook his head before turning to Ranger. "I'm glad you're on my side."

Ranger locked gazes with the chief for several seconds before narrowing his eyes and asking, "Just how did you make it in this direction so quickly? According to my sources, you were off today because you were planning to be out of town."

The chief's eyes grew wary, and I had a bad feeling there was more to his arrival than he wanted us to know.

Lester's eyes narrowed and said, "Gaspick said they would have two hours before the buyer arrived."

Suddenly, the chief bolted and took off running. There was the sound of a gun going off, and the chief dropped to the ground and lay unmoving.

A man came walking out of the woods with a pronounced limp, and he had an assault rifle over his forearm. He stopped when he got close and said, "It always bothered me that he called out to me when I was tracking that bastard we were after for trafficking young girls. I did some digging and found enough to pin his ass to the wall." The man shrugged and said, "My aim slipped."

The newcomer turned to look at me and said, "I think we finally got them all."

Ranger leaned down and said, "Babe, this is Rodriguez."

I nodded. "If there are any more, they'd better run now."

Rodriguez smiled and replied, "She's got spunk, bossman."

I raised an eyebrow and said, "You realize I can here you, right?"

Rodriguez threw back his head and laughed. "Spunk in spades." He turned to the area around us and said, "Let's get this cleaned up, men." He gave Ranger a salute.

Ranger smiled as he led us to the Turbo and helped me into the passenger seat, setting Julie on my lap."

As we headed back into Trenton, I asked Ranger, "Did they succeed in blowing up your building?"

Ranger took my hand in his and replied, "They succeeded in making a mess, but the building is still as sound as the day it was built. By now, Louis has had a chance to get everything back up and running."

I nodded before asking, "The two men that worked for you…" I wasn't sure how to ask the question on my mind.

Ranger gave a nod and said, "From what we heard through the wire, they were two of the men that got away when we shut down a training camp where they were holding a group of young women and girls. They flew to the States, and Andy got hired on and assigned to Rodriguez's department, running searches on men we hired. That's how all of the others were hired. The one that brought you here was Chaney. Gaspick had his hand in that, as well.

We made the rest of the trip back to Trenton in relative silence. By the time we pulled into the garage, Julie was sleeping and I was feeling wiped out myself.

Ranger looked over at the two of us and said, "I think we all need a change of scenery for a while. Let's go up and get what we need before we get on the road."

I frowned. "Where are we going?"

Ranger laid a hand on my cheek. "Trust me, Babe."

I looked at him for several minutes before nodding. "Just let me call my parents and let them know I'll be gone for a few days."

Ranger nodded, and as we made our way up in the elevator, he made calls to the other guys as well. It looked like there was going to be a group of us heading out of town. I called my mom, and as always, she was supportive. I gave her a heads-up about what the papers would be saying come morning. She assured me she would keep an eye out for Grandma and told me to enjoy my time away.

Within an hour, we were back in the garage and Ranger was helping me into the passenger seat of the Turbo. Julie was once again in my lap. We headed out, and the caravan pulled into line behind us. Micha and Bree were riding with Lester and Bobby; Hector and Angel were riding with Tank and Hal; Ram, Woody, Vince, and Cal were in another vehicle. We wove our way through town, and in no time we were headed toward the ocean. My eyes were heavy, and in no time, I lost the battle to stay awake.

The next thing I knew, Ranger was caressing my cheek with his thumb and my eyes were fluttering open. He gave me a half smile and said, "We're here, Babe."

I sat up to see where "here" was and was awed by the beauty of the ocean. Ranger got out and came around to help me out, and I got my first sight of the house. It was the most awesome place I'd ever seen. It looked more like a castle than a house. As we all made our way toward the house, the front door opened and two men stepped out with grins on their faces. Ranger growled, and I wondered what was going on. I thought I recognized them, and as the men got closer, I knew I'd been right. I couldn't help but smile.

**A/N:** **Although a couple of the bad guys in this story happened to be a police officer and the Chief of Police, I have the greatest regard for policemen and the job they do and this story is no reflection on them or the job they do. There will be more on Bree and how her abilities work in the next chapter.**


	23. Unexpected Guests

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 23: Unexpected Guests

**Bree's POV:**

I couldn't seem to stop shaking as I rode back to Rangeman. Micha tried the best he could to comfort me, but as often happened, once the door was opened, I couldn't close it by myself. Although my main "gift"—if you would call it that—was cognition…or the ability to see things as they happened, once I opened the door, there was a whole host of other things that would hit me as well. That first day we arrived at Rangeman and crashed into the Turbo, I realized immediately when Ranger passed me off to Lester that I couldn't read him. It was rare to encounter a dark one—the name for someone I couldn't read. Their thoughts and emotions weren't visible to me. It usually meant I was unable to "see" their actions as well. When I realized I knew Lester was in danger—something I'd learned when the traitor warned the others—I knew that I had formed a link with Lester in the short time we'd connected. Whether I was going to like that link or not was yet to be determined. It also made me suspect that Lester was closed, or dark, because he chose to be.

When we walked out of the bedroom and I saw the men dead on the floor, the emotions and feelings flooding through me were tearing me apart.

When Lester looked at me and asked, "What do you need?" I told him the truth.

"I need you. You're silent. I can't read you."

I was getting sensory input from everyone else in the room, and I needed the silent darkness that only Lester could give me. When he wrapped me in his arms, there was silence and I was able to relax and get partial control once again. When Micha joined us, I knew he was hurting from the look on his face, but I couldn't feel the pain. It was a relief after the intense emotions I'd felt when the fight was happening. I knew the dead men were monsters and had gotten what was coming to them, but situations like that were still traumatic for me, and I was happy to not feel anything for a few minutes. When Lester helped me into the SUV to return to Rangeman, the deluge of emotions and feelings returned once again.

When we pulled into Rangeman, I went with Micha to the apartment and packed my bags. Not knowing how long we would be gone, I just packed everything I'd brought with me here. When I rejoined Micha, we headed back down to the garage. This time, Lester was standing by the back door and helped me into the SUV before turning to Micha and whispering something that had Micha hesitating, and then he nodded before getting in the front passenger seat. Lester got in beside me and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. I dove into his arms, and suddenly, everything broke free and I couldn't control anything. The sobs racked my body as I grieved for all the pain.

Once the tears stopped and I was finally able to get control, I lifted my head and looked at Lester. He held me gently, as if I were a lost child. In many ways, that was exactly how I felt.

Lester looked down and gave me one of his patentent smiles and asked, "Feel better now, Chula?"

I met his gaze and smiled as I nodded. "Yes, thanks to you."

Lester pulled me to his chest and rested his chin against the top of my head as he said, "Anytime, Chula. Anytime."

I closed my eyes and slept. It wasn't until we came to a stop outside a…house—although it looked more like a castle than a house—that I opened my eyes and looked around. Through the window, I saw two men walking toward us, and I wondered what they were doing here. My gaze went quickly to Stephanie, and I was relieved to see her smiling. I sat up and Lester helped me from the vehicle.

**Stephanie's POV:**

As we made our way to the house, the men moved closer. Ranger pulled me closer to him, and I looked up at him, puzzled. He looked less than thrilled to see the two in front of us. I raised an eyebrow, and other than giving me a glance, he remained silent. We came to a stop, and I recognized the smell of cinnamon and Christmas trees that I always associated with the taller, blond-haired man. He was looking a little scruffy, but was still gorgeous. The other man was more than twice my age, but he was still wiry. I couldn't help but think it was too bad we hadn't brought my grandma along, as she would have gotten along great with the second man. I felt Ranger tense as the two stepped up to us, and I moved myself away from him a bit so I could say hello to a couple of old friends.

I held out my hand and shook hands with the older man as I smiled and said, "Hello, Alexander. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Alexander kissed my hand before releasing it and chuckling softly before saying, "Stephanie." He released my hand and held his out to Ranger. Ranger accepted the greeting as Alexander said, "Ranger. It's been a long time."

Ranger's eyes were hooded as he replied, "Two years. How are you, Alexander?"

Alexander Ramos threw back his head and laughed. "Better than the last time you saw me, that's for sure."

I raised a questioning eyebrow, and Alexander patted the top of my head.

"You're too young for the particulars, girlie." He turned to Ranger and motioned with his thumb to me. "This one's got spunk in spades. Didn't bat an eye when I jumped into her car and demanded she take me to get cigarettes and a drink. She refused to let me smoke in her car and said she wasn't getting arrested for having a broken seal, that if I wanted a drink, it had to be in a bar."

Ranger gave his half smile, and our eyes met before he turned back to Alexander and said, "I imagine she did."

As if becoming aware of Julie for the first time, Alexander raised a questioning eyebrow and said, "Your kid, Manoso?"

Ranger nodded. "My daughter. The ladies have had a rough day, Alexander. Perhaps you would join us on the back patio for a drink?"

Alexander turned to me and studied me for several minutes before his eyes hardened and he turned to Ranger. "They dead?"

Ranger's eyes were momentarily cold as ice as they met Alexander Ramos's and he gave a slight nod.

Alexander nodded and turned so he was headed in the other direction, wrapping my hand around his arm. As we walked, he chuckled and said, "Girlie, let me tell you why we're here."

As Alexander propelled me toward the house, I looked back to see Ranger reluctantly following, and from the look on his face, I could tell he was none too happy with Alexander for walking off with me. In no time, we were inside the house and I knew my mouth was open in awe. If the outside looked more like a castle than a house, the inside magnified that feeling a thousand fold. I stopped and did a full turn, trying to take in everything. I stopped and my gaze went to Diesel. He was giving me strange looks, and I raised my eyebrow in question.

He shook his head and leaned down to say, "You've changed since the last time I saw you."

I closed my eyes momentarily as the memory of our last meeting came back to me. Ten years ago when I was leaving Trenton, Diesel had magically appeared in my car and scared the shit out of me. I'd still been reeling from everything that Tex and Lenny had done to me and then how Gaspick had treated me once I'd been found. I'd been speeding in the pouring rain and crying at the same time. When Diesel had appeared in the car, I'd nearly wrecked it then and there. I'd managed to get control, and even though I'd tried not to hear him when he'd told me I would get through it all and come out stronger on the other side, apparently something he'd said must have stuck, because I_ had_ ended up getting through it all and I _was_ stronger.

I met Diesel's gaze and gave a slight smile. "I've made some progress."

Diesel nodded. "Yes. But there is still a road left to travel. Ranger will help you, but it won't always be easy."

I shrugged. "No one ever said life was going to be easy. I'd be happy with being content."

Diesel grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "You're in for the time of your life, angel. Content…you're in for a real treat if all you expect is to be content. You just have to be willing to accept the challenges ahead."

At that moment, Alexander turned back to me and narrowed his eyes at Diesel. "What are you two whispering about?"

Diesel shook his head and grinned before replying, "It's not for me to say."

Ranger and Julie walked through the door at that point, and I left Alexander and Diesel to step in their direction.

I'd just reached Ranger and he'd put his arm around me when I heard Diesel say, "Damn! I didn't realize _she_ would be here."

I looked to see who he was referring to and saw Bree smiling mockingly at him. I tried to hide my own smile, but I wasn't sure I'd succeeded.

**A/N:****Chula (****It's hard to explain. It's like a mix of dear/sweetheart/pretty. If you translate it literally it means pretty.)**


	24. A Friendly Meal

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine. **

_**Spoilers:**_Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

**This is an AU story, with a mix of characters in canon as well. **

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest, as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. I'd also like to thank Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.

**A/N: I ask for your patience in allowing me to develop the story. I guarantee the end result will turn out if you can just keep believing.**

Chapter 24: A Friendly Meal

**Stephanie's POV:**

Although I'd only had one run-in with Diesel, I knew that he'd come back to see me several times over the last ten years, only to be turned away by Bree. I'd been a front-row spectator to the show, and Bree had managed to best Diesel at every turn. I was anxious to learn what Diesel was doing here and what it had to do with Alexander Ramos. Alexander once again took my hand and placed it on his arm as he walked me out to the deck. I was awed by the beauty around us and stopped momentarily to get a good look. When Ranger's hand rested on my shoulder, I relaxed completely. I turned to smile up at him and noticed that Julie and the others were no longer with us. Ranger pulled out a chair for me to sit down, and then he took the seat next to mine. Alexander and Diesel each took their own seats, and I sat down and listened as Alexander explained just what they were doing there.

How long we'd been talking, I didn't know, but suddenly, my stomach let itself be heard. At the sound, all three men stopped speaking and turned to look at me. Diesel was grinning ear to ear, and both Ranger and Alexander were looking at me with amusement evident in their eyes.

Ranger turned to the others and said, "Gentlemen, I think we should delay any more discussion until after we've had something to eat."

Alexander nodded and replied, "I apologize that we didn't think to inquire when you arrived as to the last time you'd eaten. I'll arrange for my chef to prepare something right away."

Ranger shook his head. "Although the offer is appreciated, I'm sure a meal was arranged for on our arrival." He stood and held out his hand to me. "Babe."

I placed my hand in Ranger's, stood, and then turned and smiled at the other two men and said, "It's been nice getting to know both of you again, and thank you for including me. I will get right on that information that you've given me and will get back with you as soon as I have the answers you need."

I let Ranger lead me into the house and through to an elaborate dining room. The others were all just getting seated.

Tank nodded as he saw us walk in and said, "I was thinking I might have to send out a search party."

Although Alexander had retired to his rooms, Diesel joined us at the table. He went to say something, but he winced as his gaze went to Bree and he stayed silent.

Bree smiled, and then her eyes moved so our gazes locked and she said, "I saved you a couple of spots over here by Julie."

I nodded and said, "Thank you."

Ranger and I took our places. I sat between Julie and Bree, and Ranger was at the head of the table on our end.

As the servers brought in the food, Bree leaned over and asked, "Are you okay?"

I turned to her and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. How about you?"

Bree flicked her gaze toward Diesel and whispered, "He wants something."

I nodded. "Yes. They want me to do some research for them."

Bree looked at me for several minutes before she turned to Diesel, who happened to be watching us at that moment. Her eyes narrowed, and then she turned back to me and said, "That's not all they want. You need to be careful. There is danger ahead, but I can't see where it lies."

I reached out and covered Bree's hand with mine and said, "I'll be careful."

We turned our attention to the meal and started eating. There was an elaborate salad that was placed before us first. There were several varieties of greens, as well as other raw vegetables, and there was dressing on the side. I watched as Ranger and all the guys from Rangeman, including Micha, dug into their salads. Even Julie and Bree seemed to enjoy it. I rolled my eyes, dumped all the dressing over my salad, and stabbed my first biteful, stuffing it into my mouth. I chewed reluctantly and swallowed before hesitating and taking another bite. Somehow, I managed to have only taken five bites of the salad when the servers came in to take the salad plates away.

When the server closest to me went past me to take the next plate, I hurried to help him and said, "Here, take this one too. I wouldn't want to hold up the second course."

I heard a muffled laugh and glanced up to see both Bree and Micha, who was seated beside her, trying to stifle their laughter. I gave them my best 'Burg glare and turned back to see what might be coming out next. I caught the barely there smile on Ranger's face and felt myself blushing. Just then, the servers started coming back with the next course, and I let myself take an appreciative sniff and wrinkled my nose. Although I got a whiff of mac and cheese, there was a stronger scent that was unappealing. I noticed a bowl of mac and cheese had been set down in front of Julie, and I anticipated my own bowl of the ooey goodness. I was shocked when my server placed a bowl of some horrible-smelling soup in front of me. I looked at the dish in horror and made a face. I glanced at Julie's bowl and my stomach growled. Everyone seemed to look up, and I kept my head down and moved the spoon around in the bowl without taking a bite.

When the server stopped beside me and said, "Pardon me," I set my spoon down and was thankful that we were done with the stinky soup. Instead, the server exchanged my soup for a bowl of the mac and cheese like Julie had been served. I grinned up at the young man and heard several gasps. I looked up quickly to see if something had happened and found I was the center of attention.

I rolled my eyes, and Ranger winked at me. He leaned forward and said, "I think you'll find that more to your liking, Babe."

I grinned and whispered back, "Thanks."

I dug into the ooey goodness in front of me and moaned with the first bite. When the servers came in, one hapless server went to take my bowl before I had finished, and I growled, "If you value your ability to make children, you'd better hand that back over."

The young man turned beet red and nearly dropped the bowl back in front of me before hurrying on to gather the rest of the dishes. I heard muffled laughter and glanced up to see Lester smiling in my direction. I narrowed my eyes, and Lester suddenly looked around for something else to stare at.

I finally managed to finish the mac and cheese in the bowl, and I raised it to show I was done. One of the older servers walked over to me and bowed before taking the bowl, and then all the others followed him out. A few seconds later, they came in carrying the next dish. When the dish was set in front of me, I sat there looking at it and wondering what the hell it was. I looked up and turned to Ranger.

Ranger raised an eyebrow and asked, "Everything okay, Babe?"

I leaned forward and asked, "What_ is_ this stuff?"

"Sushi."

I covered my mouth and gagged.

Ranger looked concerned. "Are you all right?"

Bree leaned forward and quietly said, "Uh, Stephanie doesn't do raw things. Not even veggies."

Ranger smiled. "What can I have them make you, Babe?"

I looked up at him and bit my lip. After a couple seconds, I asked, "Do they have anything Italian, like pasta, lasagna, or ravioli?"

Ranger motioned one of the servers forward and spoke softly to him. The man nodded and left the room, only to return a few minutes later and exchange my plates once again. I forked one of the ravioli into my mouth and moaned at the delicious flavor that exploded in my mouth. This time, none of the plates were removed until I had finished. I was feeling much better.

When the servers came back in again, Ranger waved them away, and I wondered what was in store for us. When the plate was set in front of me, I could swear I heard Micha laugh. I ignored him and eagerly took a huge bite of the chocolate cake. As I dug into it, chocolate fudge spilled from inside. I scooped a bit on my spoon along with the cake and popped it into my mouth, moaning in pleasure as I chewed. I devoured the cake in no time and was surprised when my plate was empty. It looked like there had never been anything on the plate. A server arrived beside my seat and exchanged my empty plate for a plate with twice as much cake on it. I looked up at the young man beside me, and he was grinning at me. I returned the smile, and he moved away from the table.

Lester called out to the server and asked if there was more cake.

The young man turned and shook his head before saying, "She might want more."

There was stunned silence at the table for all of two seconds, and then the guys all burst out laughing.

Lester waggled his eyebrows at me and said, "I guess we know who their favorite is."

Shortly after the meal, everyone was directed to their rooms, and Ranger led Julie and me down one hall.

It had been a long few weeks, and I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying our time here. In no time, we had Julie settled for the night and I was getting ready to slip into my own bed. Although I'd much rather be in the same bed as Ranger, as I'd come to realize I was able to sleep better when he was near, I didn't feel comfortable inviting myself into his bed. I turned out the light and lay there, letting myself get used to the sounds in the dark. I was just closing my eyes when Bree's words from before had me stilling and wondering what was in store for us next. She'd said something about needing to be careful and that there was danger ahead. I decided to let it go and think about it later. For now, I just wanted to enjoy the moment.

**The End**

**As you see, the story hasn't been changed, only the errors were corrected. The story will continue with Danger in the Shadows. I'll post the chapters as soon as they're done.**


End file.
